Zac Taylor was all but let down by the time the Cincinnati Bengals’ season wrapped up with a painstaking 6-11. While Joe Burrow‘s turf toe injury-induced absence had a lot to do with that, there was something else at play, too. Specifically, the head coach’s unbounded hope in the quarterback room not meeting expectations. And to fix that very issue, the front office already looks to have a solid plan ready.

“Zac Taylor says it’s “fair to say” the team will be looking to add a QB in some capacity with draft or free agency,” FOX19’s Jeremy Rauch reported on X this week.

But for those wondering, this is unlikely to have any direct impact on Burrow’s career. But for backup quarterback Jake Browning? Alarm bells might be going off.

Primarily because Browning was a shadow of his former self when expected to perform the past season. Long gone were the days from the 2023 season when the 29-year-old replaced Burrow, out with a season-ending wrist injury, and guided the team to four wins and 12 touchdowns while leading the NFL in completion rate at 70.4.

On the contrary, this past season, Browning lost all three games he started after getting outscored 69-9 combined, recording four touchdowns, five interceptions and a measly 64.1 completion percentage. The only respite? The team stepping out of their comfort zone to trade for Joe Flacco, who let sparks fly immediately, and whose services Zac Taylor won’t mind getting back next season.

The veteran immediately lit up the team’s offense, most notably helping wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase set the franchise’s single-game catches record. Individually, too, the aging quarterback ranked second in the league in completions (154) after six starts, and tied for third in TD passes (13) and fifth in passing yards (1636). This also included a career-high 470 passing yards in Week 9 vs. Chicago, and a 342-yard, three-TD performance in the team’s Week 7 win over Pittsburgh. No wonder the team might yet again pass over Browning in favor of Flacco, a reality that seems closer if you look between the lines.

“He’s been one of my favorite guys to be around,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He brought the perspective and ability that only 20 years in the NFL and 200-whatever starts and an (Super Bowl) MVP can bring. We love Joe. I’d love to have him back. He’s going to make decisions best for him and his family. We’ll see where it goes from there.

“The ability to go in in a moment’s notice and run the offense and for us specifically be able to distribute the football to our receivers is what matters on top of taking care of the ball,” he said. “That’s why Joe Flacco was so effective. We do have so much invested in those guys. The talent to throw the ball to those guys does matter.”

Notably, both Browning and Flacco are headed to free agency this offseason, with the latter’s projected market value sitting at $5.59 million for the 2026 season, per Sportrac.

That’s a manageable number for Zac Taylor and the Bengals’ front office. The Bengals currently carry almost $53 million in cap room. But that number can evaporate quickly once roster priorities stack up. And Burrow’s cap hit is a figure the front office is watching closely.

Duke Tobin opens the door on restructuring Joe Burrow’s massive contract

The Bengals addressed those financial realities head-on at the Combine in Indianapolis. Among the topics on the table: the roster, free agency strategy, and whether Joe Burrow’s contract could be restructured to free up more room to build a championship-caliber team around him.

“We look at all areas to increase our competitiveness if we have to. Cap dollars have to be counted. And so if we can accomplish what we want to accomplish without pushing things into future problems, we’ll do that,” Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said on February 24.

“If we need that [Burrow’s contract restructuring], we’ll consider that as well. As I said, we’re open to doing anything we need to do to improve our team to the point where we’re satisfied we’re going to win a championship.”

That contract in question is the five-year, $275 million extension Burrow signed in 2023. In 2026, he is set to carry a base salary of $25.25 million against a total cap hit of nearly $48 million. But here is where it gets interesting.

If the Bengals restructure Burrow’s deal (similar to how the Chiefs have done for Patrick Mahomes to create cap flexibility), Cincinnati could save approximately $19.2 million, per Over The Cap.

That doesn’t just solve one problem. It gives the franchise the financial flexibility to address needs on both offense and defense, lock down key free agents, and build the kind of depth that can survive a long playoff run.