Bengals Announce Decision on Zac Taylor's Future Following 6–11 Season

Cincinnati missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Zac Taylor will remain the Bengals' coach in 2026. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Bengals' 2025 season is one that nobody in Cincinnati had hoped for.

Following a 2–0 start to the campaign, quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that saw him miss over two months—and in turn, the team crumbled, finishing the year 6–11 and failing to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Despite this, however, the Bengals are moving forward with both coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin in 2026.

"We came into the season with high expectations, coming off four straight winning seasons with leaders in place that took us to a Super Bowl and two AFC Championship games," team president Mike Brown said in a statement on Monday morning. "We know this season has been frustrating and disappointing. The results fell short of our standards, and missing the playoffs again proves there is more work to do. Our focus is on building a team that can consistently compete at the highest level, with the goal of winning championships. After thoughtful consideration, I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward. They have proven they can build and lead teams that compete for championships. We trust their plans and expect to return to our desired level of success."

🔗: https://t.co/km7dtjiS2G pic.twitter.com/56vFz11nUo

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 5, 2026

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"We are taking a hard look at everything we do as we approach this offseason with focused determination to build a championship-caliber roster that wins consistently," Brown's statement continued. "We are fully committed to delivering results that match the pride, passion and expectations of this organization and our fans."

Over seven seasons as coach of the Bengals, Taylor has amassed a 52–63 record, won the AFC North twice, and guided Cincinnati to back-to-back AFC championship game appearances—including a berth in Super Bowl LVI—in 2021 and ‘22.

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