The Cincinnati Bengals just wrapped up yet another season without a playoff berth. Joe Burrow missed significant time again. The defense that plagued the team in 2024 somehow managed to get worse in 2025. Burrow’s dedication to Cincinnati and the game of football was questioned after press conferences. It was as bleak a season as we have seen since 2020, when the Bengals chose to retain Zac Taylor and issue a press release to their fans, confirming their support for him.
On Monday, it was a bit like Groundhog Day.
That’s right — Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin and Head Coach Zac Taylor will be back in 2026.
“After thoughtful consideration, I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said in his statement.
This is the first time Brown has specifically mentioned Tobin in a release like this. Until this point, Tobin’s job was never considered to be in jeopardy. The failures in the NFL Draft and free agency in recent years brought Tobin’s name into speculation in the media for the first time this season, but Brown is not moving on from his “de facto” general manager.
“We are fully committed to delivering results that match the pride, passion, and expectations of this organization and our fans,” Brown said to end his statement.
Are we looking at Marvin Lewis 2.0? It is starting to seem that way. Taylor has two years remaining on his contract, something we just learned in recent weeks. With that being the case, it is safe to assume Taylor will return in 2027, regardless of how next season goes.
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