After an offseason revamp of the defense, the pressure is on Zac Taylor to deliver with another postseason run.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker put Zac Taylor on his list of six NFL head coaches who are on the hot seat this year.
“It was a bit of a surprise that Taylor was retained to begin with going into 2026, but he can’t afford another slip-up season,” Locker wrote. “As pressure continues to mount surrounding Joe Burrow’s future in Cincinnati, the Bengals’ front office shouldn’t be passive in keeping
its star quarterback happy — and the broader team oriented well.”
Locker acknowledged the defensive upgrades in the form of Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, but he emphasized the fact that the defense has been among the league’s worst since 2024, “placing 28th in EPA per play, 29th in success rate, and 29th in touchdown drive rate given up in that span.” He finished by writing that “the bottom line is that the unit simply needs to play far better.”
One thing is certain: the Bengals still need a proven linebacker to settle down a unit that was out of position far too often last season. But will they spend on a quality veteran? We discuss in the video below.
Meanwhile, Locker listed five other coaches on the hot seat. Three of them (Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts) are currently on the hot seat, while two of them (Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers and Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles) are “worth monitoring in January”.
