Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks at a press conference for the 2025 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati. Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CBS Sports Ranks Zac Taylor Among Bottom Half of NFL Head Coaches

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 8:22 AM ET

Zac Taylor checked into the middle of the pack across CBS Sports' latest NFL head coach rankings. Cody Benjamin slotted all of the head coaches ahead of the 2025 season and had Taylor at No. 18.

It marked a drop from No. 14 a year ago, entering his seventh season as Cincinnati's head coach.

"In four of his six seasons running the show, the Bengals have missed the playoffs entirely," Benjamin noted. "In the two years they actually made the postseason, they reached the AFC title game both times. So who is Taylor? The man responsible for giving Joe Burrow and Co. a little edge? Or for overshadowing his own talent with questionable preparation? Not even Bengals fans may agree on the answer."

Wiping away Cincinnati's 7-14-1 September record under Taylor would be a great way to start creeping back up these rankings.

HE and the entire staff know they need to start better, and they've turned over every stone and made some earlier-practice tweaks to training camp this year as a hopeful spark.