Shortly after it was confirmed that the Cincinnati Bengals would miss the playoffs for a third straight season, a report revealed that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor had two years remaining on his contract following the 2025 campaign.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow has repeatedly voiced his support for Taylor, but Burrow more recently noted that it’s his “job and Zac’s job and the leaders of this team to bring the locker room together and then go execute on the field” after the Bengals bolstered their roster via multiple offseason moves. For a piece published on Friday, Bengals reporter Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic addressed Taylor’s uncertain future with the organization.
Does Zac Taylor need to complete a deep playoff run to keep his job?
“This team needs to make the postseason,” Dehner wrote about the Bengals. “Anything shy feels like the restart button gets hit. I don’t think a deep run is necessary; there’s too much nuance involved in how that goes down to paint with a broad brush. For instance, if they went 14-3 and were upset in the first round, [Taylor is] not going anywhere. If they finish 9-8 and lose in the first round, it’s probably a discussion.”
Multiple stories that surfaced throughout the first five months of 2026 suggested that Burrow could submit a trade request next offseason if the Bengals again miss out on postseason play. Of course, such takes were made under the assumption that Burrow will stay healthy for the bulk of the upcoming campaign.
Most recently, a serious toe issue caused Burrow to miss nine games last season.
Meanwhile, Taylor is now the only AFC North coach who was employed by his current club last September. He may not have to get his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy to remain the division’s longest-tenured coach through 2027.
How Zac Taylor could earn a contract extension
“I’d think a trip to the AFC Championship Game would open extension talks,” Dehner added about Taylor’s status. “I could see Taylor wanting to add two more years and be tied to the club through the end of Burrow’s deal in 2029. Most of this is speculative, but remember, [Mike Brown] is the most patient owner in the game when it comes to head coaches, and there’s a strong relationship there. Make no mistake, he’s got to win, and he’s got to win now. There’s no hiding from that. Everybody’s job is on the line in 2026. There are no excuses.”
That’s easy to say now, but it remains to be seen how Brown would react if another losing season for the Bengals is linked with Burrow becoming unavailable for a lengthy stretch of games.