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Bengals Planning To Retain DC Al Golden

Originally posted on NFLTradeRumors.co  |  By Logan Ulrich  |  Last updated Jan 5, 2026 6:53 PM ET

Bengals HC Zac Taylor told reporters Monday he’s not anticipating any major changes to his coaching staff, meaning he’s bringing back DC Al Golden for another season, per Kelsey Conway.

The first year was rough for the veteran coach but Taylor has a lot of sway over his staff and evidently plans to be patient. 

Golden, 56, began his coaching career back in 1993 as a high school offensive coordinator. He worked for several universities over the next 20 years.

The Lions hired Golden as their TEs coach in 2016 and later joined the Bengals as their LBs coach in 2020.

Golden joined Notre Dame as their defensive coordinator in 2022 and was in the role until returning to the Bengals in 2025 as their DC.

In 2025, the Bengals ranked No. 30 in scoring defense and No. 31 in total defense, including No. 32 against the run and No. 26 against the pass. 

This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.

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