Most of the talks about disfunction within the Cincinnati Bengals organization this offseason has stemmed from the front office and its questionable handling of multiple contract disputes.
However, other prominent members of the staff are not excused from some scrutiny.
Head coach Zac Taylor has suffered back-to-back nine-win seasons, missing the playoffs both in 2023 and 2024. Those two years come after many thought the Bengals were entering a golden era with star quarterback Joe Burrow guiding the team to a Super Bowl and another AFC Championship Game.
With cornerstone pieces still on the roster, the Bengals can compete for a championship for the next few years, but the last two seasons have offered minimal confidence in the window remaining wide open.
CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan believes the Bengals desperately need to reassert themselves in the conference title race.
Or else? Another letdown season could result in Taylor getting fired.
“Taylor will need to get the Bengals back into the playoffs to keep his job, and it’s no sure thing he’ll be able to do that," Sullivan said.
"On top of playing in a division with the Baltimore Ravens and the new-look Pittsburgh Steelers with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Cincinnati defense has major questions. The team is currently embroiled in contract spats with pass rushers Trey Hendrickson and rookie Shemar Stewart. Hendrickson’s situation could ultimately lead to a trade, which would make a defense that allowed 25.5 points per game (tied for the fifth-highest in the NFL) even worse. And the offense may not be able to bail them out, either. Last season, the Bengals lost six games despite the offense scoring 25 points. They also lost two games despite a 38-point output from the offense. All of that doesn’t exactly bode well for Taylor in what feels like a make-or-break season.”
You can make the argument that each team in the AFC North got better this offseason. Baltimore added Jaire Alexander to strengthen an already stellar secondary. Another veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins also adds to perennial MVP candidate Lamar Jackson's repertoire. The Steelers, of course, feature quarterback Aaron Rodgers - in what could be his final NFL season - paired with DK Metcalf. Even the Cleveland Browns could see a slight uptick in production, depending on who plays well coming out of their four-man quarterback competition.
Cincinnati's roster, especially on defense, offers more questions than answers. The pass-rush issues must be resolved if the Bengals have any hope for escaping the bottom of the NFL's defensive rankings. Offensively, the pass game remains an elite force, but there needs to be more production on the ground. Hopefully breakout running back Chase Brown can continue to rise to stardom and complement Burrow's aerial attack.
Taylor enters his seventh season in Cincy with a 46-52-1 record as head coach.
He now sits on one of the hottest seats in the NFL.
The job is simple: make the playoffs.
Who Dey Nation may not be satisfied with just that, though. But a double-digit win season in a tough division is at least a sign of Taylor moving forward and avoiding a streak of three straight disappointing seasons.
With as talented as this roster is at its best, anything short of another Super Bowl appearance could still be justified as a disappointment.
