Bengals' Zac Taylor is safe…but is Al Golden?

A few different reports have said that Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is safe. 

In fact, the latest says that support from key Bengals will save Taylor, meaning Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. 

More notable now is whether defensive coordinator Al Golden is safe. 

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero classified Taylor as “not going anywhere,” then wrote this about Golden: 

“The question is what Cincinnati will do on the defensive side of the ball. Al Golden’s unit has been a source of frustration all season. Yet the Bengals' defense has slowly and steadily improved, hitting pause on any discussions of moving on. Taylor and the team’s brass will go through their decisions once the season ends.”

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It is easy to dismiss the idea that Golden goes anywhere. If he wasn’t let go after a historically bad stretch in Teryl Austin-like fashion, the Bengals probably aren’t going to move on after his young defense showed signs of life down the stretch here. 

Still, there’s the whole issue of accountability. Burrow’s been sending messages about the team not being good enough. Chase did the same thing. 

Considering it feels like effective general manager Duke Tobin can do no wrong in Cincinnati, one has to wonder where that accountability might fall for a poorly constructed roster that didn’t perform. 

While it seems unlikely, perhaps Golden's seat is warmer than Taylor’s heading into the offseason next week.

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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' Zac Taylor is safe…but is Al Golden?