Cincinnati Bengals To Retain Head Coach Zac Taylor and Director Of Player Personnel Duke Tobin
If you were refreshing your feed on Monday morning, hoping for a complete organizational reset in Cincinnati, you might want to pour yourself a stiff drink. The Bengals have made their call, and despite the noise, the frustration, and the empty January calendar, the band is staying together.
Team President Mike Brown officially confirmed on Monday that Head Coach Zac Taylor and Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin are safe. They will be back for the 2026 season. Will next season go any better?
Trusting the Process (Again)
For a fanbase that has watched their team miss the playoffs for three consecutive years, and eight of the last ten, this news lands somewhere between “predictable” and “maddening.” In a statement that was equal parts corporate optimism and defiance, Brown doubled down on his current leadership duo.
“After thoughtful consideration, I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward,” Brown stated. He acknowledged the season was “disappointing” and fell short of standards, but cited their past success in reaching the Super Bowl and AFC Championship games as proof of concept.
It is a classic Brown move: valuing loyalty and past peaks over current valleys. But in a league that famously stands for “Not For Long,” relying on glory days from four years ago is a bold strategy.
The Burrow Dilemma and the Injury Bug
To be fair to the Bengals brass, the 2025 campaign wasn’t exactly a fair fight. You can’t talk about this season without addressing the elephant in the room. Joe Burrow missed nine games, essentially torpedoing the season before it could truly take flight.
The injury, caused by a blown block from Dalton Risner, highlighted a glaring issue that Duke Tobin has yet to fully solve: keeping the franchise quarterback upright. Burrow, for his part, isn’t shying away from what needs to happen next. When asked about attacking free agency, Burrow called it of “paramount importance,” noting that the team has to identify weaknesses and fix them.
A Critical Offseason Ahead For the Bengals
The decision to keep Taylor and Tobin puts an immense amount of pressure on the upcoming offseason. This isn’t a rebuild; it’s a reload with a very ticking clock. With significant salary cap space available, the Bengals have the resources to overhaul the roster, particularly on a defense that had more holes than Swiss cheese this year.
Fans might be tired of the “continuity” argument, but that’s the hand that has been dealt. The front office is betting the house that a healthy Burrow and a few strategic signings can flip the script. If they’re wrong, and 2026 ends with another empty January, even Brown’s legendary patience might finally run out.
