Cincinnati Bengals to retain coach Zac Taylor, de-facto GM Duke Tobin

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals will retain head coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin, owner Mike Brown announced Monday.

Taylor led the Bengals to a 52-63-1 record over the last seven seasons, including a 6-11 campaign in 2025-26. That run included a run to Super Bowl LVI and back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances in 2021 and 2022.

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Tobin, the Bengals' de-facto general manager, joined the franchise since 1999. Brown said the Bengals' recent results "fell short of our standards," but expressed confidence in Tobin and Taylor as "the right leaders" to guide the franchise's future.

"We came into the season with high expectations, coming off four straight winning seasons with leaders in place that took us to a Super Bowl and two AFC Championship games," Brown said. "We know this season has been frustrating and disappointing. The results fell short of our standards, and missing the playoffs again proves there is more work to do.

"Our focus is on building a team that can consistently compete at the highest level, with the goal of winning championships. After thoughtful consideration, I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward. They have proven they can build and lead teams that compete for championships. We trust their plans and expect to return to our desired level of success."

Brown said the Bengals would take a "hard look at everything" this off-season, with a focus on building a "championship-caliber roster that wins consistently."

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"We are fully committed to delivering results that match the pride, passion and expectations of this organization and our fans," Brown said.

Under Taylor, the Bengals went to the postseason twice in seven years. They has Top-7 passing units in four of the last five seasons, including the top aerial attack in 2024, behind star quarterback Joe Burrow.

The Bengals also has a Top-10 offense overall in two of the last four seasons. And they allowed the second-most yards defensively in two of the last four seasons.

Cincinnati's defense hasn't ranked above No. 16 in any season under Taylor. They ranked 25th or worse in yards allowed in six of his seven seasons, including each of the least three years.

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The Bengals, who ended the longest playoff drought (31 years) in the NFL during their Super Bowl run in 2021-22, are one of a dozen NFL teams to never win a Super Bowl. The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings are the only teams of that group with more Super Bowl appearances (four) than the Bengals (three).

Tobin, Taylor and the Bengals hold the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.