Bengals' Zac Taylor issued warning in NFL head coach hot seat ranking

USA Today

3 days ago

Bengals' Zac Taylor issued warning in NFL head coach hot seat ranking
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor remains one of the most perplexing hot seat candidates around the NFL.
Most would agree that Taylor enjoys some almost unparalleled job security in Cincinnati, where Marvin Lewis ran the show for almost two decades before Taylor arrived and helped the team make a Super Bowl appearance.
But there's also the conversation around the Bengals modernizing in notable ways over the years, so perhaps Taylor isn't as fireproof as outsiders think.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus listed 10 head coaches on the hot seat right now and, if nothing else, treated Taylor as if he's subjected to the rules of most normal franchises:
"The Bengals' core isn't getting any younger or cheaper, and key pieces, such as Hendrickson, may not have much time left in Cincinnati. After two straight 9-8 finishes, it feels like Taylor will need to at least make the playoffs this year to retain his job."
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Taylor should, indeed, probably be let go if a Joe Burrow team misses the playoffs for the third straight season, regardless of excuses. This offseason he was given the leeway to fire coaches in key spots on the offensive line and defense as it is, so one could certainly view that as a last chance.
Whether the Bengals would actually move on from Taylor for another miss (provided good roster health) is impossible to say. But two straight seasons of underperforming while the core's window continues to age certainly justifies his spot on lists like this right now.
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