The Cincinnati Bengals are officially expected to move on from offensive line coach Jim Turner, an assistant that has drawn the ire of the fan base.
Rumblings that the Cincinnati Bengals would undergo a significant coaching staff shakeup began several days ago but now, rumors have turned into concrete moves. According to both AllBengals’ Elise Jesse and ESPN’s Ben Baby, Zac Taylor will part from infamous offensive line coach Jim Turner, along with defensive line coach Nick Eason and defensive assistant Gerald Chatman once the season is over.
The news of Turner’s departure should come as no surprise. The Bengals have had one of the league’s worst offensive lines under his watch, and there have been reports of friction in the locker room caused by the notorious coach.
Earlier reporting from Jesse indicated that Turner even went so far as to call Isiah Prince a “thug” over a Zoom meeting. Certainly unacceptable behavior, but an action that should come as no surprise, given Turner’s history.
As the Bengals gear up to makeover the offensive trenches this season, they’ll have a new leader to pave the way.
Bengals moving on from Nick Eason comes as a surprise
While moving on from Turner is as easy of a decision that Taylor will make during his tenure, the move to part ways with Nick Eason should be met with more doubt. All things considered, the play in the defensive trenches turned out as well as one could hope.
Prior to the season, the defensive line was widely expected to be the strength of the team. However, injuries, opt-outs, and disgruntled players derailed Eason’s unit.
Renell Wren, Josh Tupou, and Ryan Glasgow were all lost prior to the season. Then, D.J. Reader, Geno Atkins, and Sam Hubbard all missed varying amounts of time as well. If that weren’t enough, long-time cornerstone Carlos Dunlap demanded a trade and left the club in even more of a bind.
Despite all of those circumstances, the defensive line held up fairly well. Sure, Eason struggled to get his guys generating a pass rush (understandably so), but the run defense ranked 20th in the league. While not ideal, it was an improvement from the year prior. When considering all the talent he lost, it’s difficult to ask him to do much more.
Regardless, it appears that the decision has already been made. Cincinnati may not be done making moves either. With the season set to end in a clash against the Baltimore Ravens, expect more reports to roll in following the conclusion of the contest.