When you look at the season the Cincinnati Bengals have had, it points to the team making changes in the offseason, and namely firing Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin.
The Bengals are eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-10 record. And while it is true that Joe Burrow missed a large swath of the season, Cincinnati was still alive upon his return but the Bengals have gone 1-2 since he came back.
Adding to that, this is the third straight season in which the Bengals won't make the playoffs, which is simply inexcusable for a team that has as much talent on the offensive side of the ball as the Bengals do.
Many Bengals fans rightly want Taylor and Tobin gone, but The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. Doesn't see that happening, as he believes both are safe.
"Internally, however, it’s just not happening," Dehner Jr. Says of Tobin's possible firing. "Tobin is viewed as family in nearly the same regard as the actual Browns and Blackburns. There is zero thought that his job is in jeopardy. He will have to lead the Bengals out of this drought, and ownership trusts him to do so."
As for Taylor, Dehner Jr. Points to his relationship with Burrow and his contract, which has two more years on it, as reasons why Taylor will stick around.
Dehner Jr. Concludes that Taylor getting fired "sounds very unlikely right now."
There is literally no justification for keeping both Tobin and Taylor.
The Bengals' offense has not played at the level it should, and the play-calling has been miserably bad in the process.
Tobin hasn't done a good enough job building the team, and more specifically the defense, which has been the biggest issue for the Bengals in recent years.
With Tobin and Taylor seemingly set to return in 2026, there is just no hope that things are going to get better.
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