The Cincinnati Bengals are officially the only team in the AFC North to stick with their head coach after the 2025 season.
Who would've thought Zac Taylor would be the lone survivor with a 6-11 record? He was up against two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, along with long-tenured rivals in Baltimore's John Harbaugh, and yes, shockingly, Mike Tomlin of Steelers fame.
Tomlin voluntarily left the Steelers on Tuesday, ending a 19-year run on a 30-6 home playoff loss to the Houston Texans. It also marked the potential end of Aaron Rodgers' career.
So what does all this possibly mean for the Bengals in 2026 and beyond? I'm conflicted...
Bengals defying AFC North coaching upheaval may mean short-term gain for long-term pain
Look, if y'all Bengals fans who love to support the front office no matter what want to gas them up for appearing as geniuses while the rest of the division axes its head coaches, go for it. I won't yuck your yum.
But like come on. Whether it was the Steelers or Tomlin who truly decided to part ways, this was a fresh start everyone involved needed.
Pittsburgh is notorious for continuity on its coaching staff, more so than even the Bengals. The difference is, Super Bowls are actually won in the midst of that continuity. A Lombardi Trophy has eluded Cincinnati's franchise for its entire existence.
Despite the uncertainty of the immediate future in Yinzer Land — expensive/declining defense, lack of identity sans Tomlin, who on Earth is the quarterback in 2026? — that job opening is dripping with prestige. A great coach is going to succeed Tomlin, because the Steelers organization will not settle for anything less.
Much as I dig Zac Taylor for the most part, are you telling me the Bengals couldn't get an upgrade if they really tried? That's all I'm trying to say.
Joe Burrow is a pretty strong selling point to any prospective coaching candidate. If it's an offensive guru, great, Burrow is another coach on the field and you can COOK with him. If it's a defensive mastermind, great, Burrow's got the offense covered and can keep that thing humming when your offensive coordinators are annually up for head coaching interviews.
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If anything, I'm inclined to say that the Steelers moving off Tomlin — not to mention the rest of the AFC North making coaching changes — furthers the notion that Cincinnati should've taken this opportunity to reboot.
As far as I can tell from de facto GM Duke Tobin's uninspiring, hour-long press conference that happened not long ago, the Bengals aren't changing much in their approach to doing things. That isn't just the coaching staff. It's the front office and scouting/personnel departments in particular.
The good news is, Cincinnati's call to keep Taylor and his assistants intact could pay huge dividends in 2026 as the Bengals' rivals adjust to new staffs. I'm just worried that a return to the playoffs could lock Taylor in for another in-perpetuity contract, and possibly put a cap on what the team can achieve in the Burrow era. A truly great coach could help avoid that unsavory destiny.
Should be interesting to see which coaches land in Pittsburgh and Baltimore in particular. Wonder if they'll be more renowned and reputable than Taylor is. Chances are high that's the case, methinks.