Zac Taylor took the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl LVI. Lately, though, the wins haven’t followed. Now, a two-time Super Bowl champion says Cincinnati isn’t planning to fire Taylor next season. They’re planning to pay him to leave.

“So now, Zac, you have to get it done. He’s the most experienced coach in the AFC North. He is the veteran of the group,” Bryant McFadden said on BMac SportsTalk. “He has star power on the offensive and the quarterback position, the wide receiver position, brought in Dexter Lawrence, one of the more dominant interior defense of the National Football League.

“Now it’s time to get it done because I understand the cheapness of the organization kept his seat cool a year ago. But boy, if he flatlines again, forget about being cheap. They might be willing to pay to get him out of the building.”

The Bengals opened their 2026 preseason with a 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, August 13, at Paycor Stadium. Nice way to start, sure. But one preseason game isn’t erasing what this team has been through.

Head coach Zac Taylor says there’s been a black cloud hanging over him, whether he’s at the facility or nowhere near it. And it’s not hard to see why. His team hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in three years. After their Super Bowl run in 2021, Taylor has struggled to replicate that success.

It is worth mentioning that every time the Bengals reached the postseason with Burrow as their quarterback, they reached at least the AFC Championship round. So, missing the playoffs for so long is truly surprising.

This has not been helped by the fact that Taylor keeps hitting obstacles, like injuries to Burrow and Tee Higgins, and contractual fights, especially with Trey Hendrickson. When you combine that with a 24-27 win-loss record over three seasons, it’s not difficult to understand why people are calling for his job.

Jordan Dajani over at CBS Sports doesn’t sound optimistic about Taylor’s job security. Three straight years without a playoff appearance will do that, and last season’s 6-11 finish didn’t help his case either.

“Cincinnati has now missed the postseason three straight years, and last season’s 6-11 campaign was painful,” Dajani wrote. “Not only did Burrow miss nine games after suffering a turf toe injury in Week 2, but the defense was one of the worst in the league.”

Cincinnati finished in the bottom three in scoring defense, total defense, and yards per play. Taylor’s an offensive guy at heart, but a defense that bad still lands on his desk.

So the front office went to work. They traded for Dexter Lawrence, signed Jonathan Allen, added Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook, then drafted Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis. With Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all in their prime, the offensive weapons are in place, and the excuses are gone. If this season doesn’t deliver, Taylor might not be in Cincinnati come 2027.