The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly already decided to spin the block on head coach Zac Taylor and de facto GM Duke Tobin for the 2026 season, and more importantly, the upcoming offseason.
And no matter how you feel about those seemingly inevitable decisions, the bright side of what some would consider an otherwise glum outlook is that the front office is free to concentrate on other things.
However, while deciding to keep Taylor and Tobin in place is a start, it is by no means the only decision the Bengals should not delay making and acting on.
There are several things Cincinnati must address early to compete in 2026.
Uniforms and chili
Let us get the auxiliary and seemingly unimportant yet potentially crucial things out of the way.
One of the things that sticks in our craw is the white jersey, orange pants uniform combination. That particular affront to high definition television, which ought to be a fashion faux pas after Labor Day (or any other day), must be immediately retired.
The numbers back up the argument as the Bengals are 1-4 in that combo since 2021.
The only worse winning percentage combo is the orange jersey with the orange pants, which they have worn only once. They are 0-1.
Furthermore, in their most recent outing featuring white jerseys and orange pants against the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals lost 24-0.
No need to wait to announce that the particular 1980s chasing-the-ice-cream-truck-with-fifty-cents-down-Harvey-Avenue-reverse-half-sherbert-ice-cream-sicle combo will not be returning.
Also, someone here on Al Gore’s internet machine had the astute observation that since the Bengals moved from Goldstar to Skyline Chili as a partner, the team has not returned to the playoffs, and Joe Burrow missed half the season, twice.
We love all restaurants representing Cincinnati Chili. Empress, Camp Washington, Skyline, Goldstar, et al have a place in our hearts. However, if one is costing us playoff trips, the team may want to reconsider affiliations, for superstition’s sake.
Now on to more important items on today's agenda.
Read More: Bengals' 2026 opponents reveal golden chance to do right by Joe Burrow
Proactive free agency before it begins
Cincinnati must not lose a second in identifying, planning (salary cap), plotting, and acquiring deference-making free agents.
The front office must operate with surgeon-like precision to spread the salary cap over the most significant upgrades. They must identify their potential targets early and let them know they are on their radar.
No, that is not suggesting that the front office should tamper or cheat. However, they must do whatever the “early winners” of free agency do, which is somehow have a contract hammered out stronger than Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, 24 hours before the legal tampering period begins.
For example, there may have been a firm handshake between Joe Burrow and Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson. Al Golden may have mentioned that the weather is lovely this time of year in Cincinnati.
On Saturday evening, someone with the team might want to invite one of Cleveland’s impending free agents, like Cam Thomas, Teven Jenkins, or Devin Bush, to an aforementioned Cincinnati chili joint.
Jeff Ruby’s is tampering. DJ Turner, Dax Hill, and Devin Bush at Skyline are just former Michigan Wolverines exchanging college war stories. See the difference?
With Ja’Marr Chase voted to the Riendeer, err, Pro Bowl Games, he could have lunch or dinner with fellow Pro Bowlers like, let's see, Tyler Linderbaum.
No delayed decisions on current roster
One of the things that we should get out of the final few games of the season is a handle on where some of the would-be fringe roster players stand with the organization.
A perfect example of that is Jalen Davis. The breakout slot corner fits well with DJ Turner and Dax Hill on the boundaries. The coaches and front office should have seen enough from him to know that he should make next year’s 53-man roster.
Also, get contracts signed with players who will be a part of the organization. Get ahead of the deals for DJ Turner, Chase Brown, and Dalton Risner. And make those deals as salary-cap friendly as possible to sign the free agents you want and need.
Moreover, decide today what the future holds for Trey Hendrickson. If the team likes what they see in Myles Murphy, and what they see in incoming rookie edge rushers like David Bailey and Keldric Faulk, tag and trade the veteran defensive end.
But the sooner those decisions are made, the sooner the season will start well, and the more sustainable success will be.
Make decisions like those and move, plan, sign, and draft accordingly.
Set draft board before hype machine sets in
Getting a head start on scouting prospects is a given. However, the Bengals must form their opinions on the incoming class well before the combine and other shenanigans.
One thing that goes laughingly unnoticed in every draft cycle is that all the “experts” hype up prospects with relatively made-up RAS scores, and then criticize either the team that selected them or the players themselves when the players do not pan out as the experts said they would.
On the other hand, those same experts will call a player a “steal” because they did not rate the prospect highly, even though he turns in an excellent rookie or second-year season.
You might be hearing some of that as a defense of Duke Tobin's decision to find players like Chase Brown on Day 3. Counterpoint: Brown never should have been a Day 3 pick, and he was there by luck and poor evaluations from other clubs.
The front office does not need to wait to hear the musings of Todd McShay, Mel Kiper Jr., or any of the national scouts who may or may not actually watch the prospects play football.
Also, having a feel for the draft class will help determine if the team can comfortably move on from certain players who are entering free agency before it begins.
The “draft board” should reflect what a player is on film, rather than getting excited about unproven potential. The Bengals need to find seven difference makers with their seven picks who can help next season.
Early decisions could lead to more late-season success
The above items, among others, should be close to being decided, given that the front office sometimes waits until the last minute to address important matters.
The scuttlebutt is that ownership has decided to run it back with Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin. Now, be quick and decisive with the other choices, which could save the team money in the long run and help the team get off to a fast start to avoid another late-season attempt to make the playoffs.