Zac Taylor Highlights Great Participation Rate as 2026 Voluntary OTA's Get Underway

The Voluntary OTAs continued for Cincinnati this afternoon as nearly the entire team got together for some important camaraderie building and light reps to get ready for Minicamp and Training Camp.

Names like Ja'Marr Chase, DJ Turner II, and Joe Flacco returned to the field on Monday and continued work on Tuesday. Zac Taylor is amped to continue with all the major pieces on this team in early June.

"Well, it just sets the tone when those guys are in the building working together," Taylor said about the stars showing up for the voluntary portion. "It shows what we're capable of. There's still a lot of work we have to do, and there are still a lot of ways we have to grow as a team as an offense, but when you have those guys out there, you feel their impact, and you get to see it firsthand, and maybe gives everyone a little pep and stuff, you know. As a team, hey, we've got some real playmakers here that can do some exciting things for us."

Turner showed up during a contract season where the shutdown cornerback doesn't have an extension finalized.

"Great response every time I reach out to him," Taylor glowed about Turner. "Been training elsewhere, and so it's great to have him show up yesterday for OTAs, come in here and get the work in, and a little bit like he's never left. He walks in my office yesterday morning, and same guy. As I've said before, the way he handles his business, his energy level, his professionalism, the way he's trying to help his teammates, he's a big part of our locker room, and so it's good to see that."

Brick By Brick

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor raises his fist while leaving the field after the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. Cincinnati Bengals defeated Denver Broncos 30-24 in overtime. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati has all the talent to post nice results this coming season against a third-place schedule. The team has full offensive continuity, major coaching continuity, and spent all spring adding to the defense via the draft, trade, and free agency.

Now, it's about bringing it all together in Taylor's vision. He has no contract headaches to deal with or major injuries to get a star back from. He is 52-63-1 during the regular season in Cincinnati and could get above .500 on that front by January if things go right for his roster.

It's all systems go to unleash Taylor's plan for the next eight months in pursuit of a title.

"There is an excitement level, not just within our team, within the community, within the fan base. You feel that when you're out and about, players feel that in the building," Taylor noted about the vision. "It's hard to compare that to years past, because every year's just so different. But right now, there's a lot of excitement in our locker room, the energy level is exceptionally high.

"It has been that way for several weeks, and then you add some of the guys back yesterday that came back yesterday just ramps it up an even further notch. So, I think guys are really excited to put in the work and see what the team is capable of."

Cincinnati has four more OTA's on the table before Mandatory Minicamp begins in the middle of the month.

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