Zac Taylor holds press conference as Bengals begin the off season
Zac Taylor holds press conference as Bengals begin the off season
Bengals owner Mike Brown is retaining head coach Zac Taylor and personnel director Duke Tobin for another season.Brown expressed confidence in the pair but made it clear he expects the team to be a championship contender.The franchise faces pressure to build a winning team around quarterback Joe Burrow, who turns 30 next December.Improving the defense, which has struggled in recent seasons, is a critical focus for the upcoming offseason.
Cincinnati Bengals owner and team president Mike Brown decided to retain head coach Zac Taylor and director of personnel Duke Tobin for another season despite three years of missing the playoffs.
On Jan. 5, a day after his team lost its season finale at Paycor Stadium, Brown released a statement endorsing Taylor and Tobin, while also making his expectations clear for the upcoming season.
Brown wrote that he believes Taylor and Tobin can get the Bengals back to contending for Super Bowls.
“I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward,” Brown said. “They have proven they can build and lead teams that compete for championships.”
Taylor and Tobin will embark on an eighth offseason together. It will be their most important to date as Brown’s statement essentially put them both on notice. Brown expects the Bengals to be playing meaningful football in January 2027.
If not, a complete overhaul − including coaches and front office members − could be the next step the franchise decides to make in its quest for a Lombardi Trophy with quarterback Joe Burrow in his prime. Burrow turns 30 next December, and the urgency to win should be at an all-time high from everyone who touches the Bengals’ roster.
Two of Cincinnati’s top leaders have an advantage when it comes to continuity. They’ve shown they are capable of building talented rosters.
The problem is, it’s been too long since Taylor and Tobin have built a roster with enough talent to win consistently. It’s what they must, in Burrow’s words, “figure out” right away.Taylor said he believes he can win with Tobin as his partner, and here’s why.
“He’s got no ego. … he’s not in it for himself,” Taylor said. “He’s in it to make the Bengals the best we can be. And there’s no ulterior motive there. He loves this place. He’s been here a long time. There’s nothing more than Duke wants than to win a Super Bowl and provide a roster that matches that expectation. And so, it’s easy for me to work with him.”
Pressure is mounting, and time is ticking. Brown and the Bengals’ front office made a hefty investment in their offense for a reason. They believe with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and Burrow, they should be one of the AFC’s best teams year in and out.
And when all three of those players are healthy, they have proved to be one of the NFL’s best offensive units. The problem has been on the defensive side of the ball for the last two years.
Tobin and Taylor must figure out why they’ve failed in the evaluation process on defense. Taylor acknowledged there is “frustration” shared internally after the disappointing season. And so, if Tobin truly works with no ego, it should be an all-hands-on-deck approach to finally fix the defense.
The Bengals can’t be fooled into believing the progress the defense made late in each of the last seasons is enough to carry over into the next season. Cincinnati needs at least five new starters on defense. It needs a new nose tackle, at least two edge rushers, a safety and a veteran linebacker.
Burrow wants the franchise to think differently this offseason. He has yet to publicly share what he wants specifically, but he’s demanding some sort of change. Considering the Bengals have finished in the bottom half of the league in points and yards allowed per game in each of the last two seasons, it’s pretty clear the change Burrow wants to see is on defense.
For the Bengals to contend for another Super Bowl, they need to build a better team around Burrow.
And it falls directly on the shoulders of Taylor and Tobin to do so.
“We (have) a great relationship, and I’m confident that we’re on the same page, and we’ll make this thing the best it can be,” Taylor said.