Matt’s Take: Time for Zac Taylor to find a new job

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

At what point do you call it quits and ask your head coach to pack his bags and search for his replacement? Outside of a Burrow-carried Super Bowl run, Zac Taylor has been one of the worst coaches in the NFL.  

Now 42, Taylor has been with the Bengals since 2019.  

He has led the Bengals to the following records: 
2019, 2-14
2020, 4-11
2021, 10-7
2022, 12-4
2023, 9-8
2024, 9-8
2025, 2-3.

Coach Taylor continuously shows he cannot win without Joe Burrow on the field. He is the worst play caller in the NFL, and hasn’t figured out how to get a run game going for this offense during his entire tenure with Cincinnati.  

He’s relied on Joe to carry the load, and it’s obvious whenever he isn’t on the field. He’s a fantastic human being and is great with the community, but change has to happen right now. 

I keep hearing one of those old clocks tic away and every tic is time going away with Burrow, Trey, Chase, and Higgins on the same team. He’s willing to risk his job for Jake Browning to remain the starter. 

He never had the credentials to be an NFL head coach in the first place, as his time at UC and as a quarterbacks coach under McVay was never enough. He’s in over his head and there isn’t a single NFL team that would want him in any high level role. 

He shouldn’t be on the hot seat right now, he should be given a box to pack his stuff and given a high five for that one Super Bowl run that honestly may have been the worst thing to happen to this franchise.  

He has now coached 33 games without Joe Burrow and he has won 5 of those games.  I think anyone can fill that position and be just fine. No team in the NFL has fewer big yardage plays than the Bengals since 2022. That’s with quite possibly the best NFL receiver in the history of the game in Ja’Marr Chase. It’s baffling and it’s more than time for him to be fired. Make the change.    

Jake Browning

I’m going to keep this short and as nice as possible. Find a new quarterback to start before next week or you are risking having Higgins and Chase wanting out of this city. Burrow is hurt 50% of the time.  

You have to have a reliable second option. Punting away another prime and healthy season of Ja’Marr is criminal. Get Browning away from “QB1” status and go get Jameis, Russell, or someone who can at least make me feel like I’m not a fool to take the trip to Paycor Stadium.  

Happy Football Season.