Pro Football Focus Names Zac Taylor to Coaching Hot Seat List Entering 2025 Season

  Is Zac Taylor on the coaching hot seat entering the 2025 season? Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker thinks so after including him among 10 coaches facing the neat this fall.

Taylor has coached the Bengals since 2019.

"The Bengals went 9-8 in 2024, a record many teams would have loved to have reached," Locker wrote. "But considering the talent on the roster and a waning championship window, it feels like a prove-it year for Taylor. Although Cincinnati’s offense finished seventh in EPA per play, its defense languished to 28th in success rate despite Trey Hendrickson‘s presence (90.4 PFF pass-rushing grade). Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins effectively played like Madden characters each week, and it still wasn’t enough to crack the playoffs — largely due to a 1-4 start. 

"Cincinnati extended both Chase (84.9 PFF receiving grade) and Higgins (88.3 PFF receiving grade), keeping the groundwork in place for another high-flying offense. But it’s fair to wonder how much better the defense is on paper, even after adding top picks Shemar Stewart (79.5 PFF overall grade) and Demetrius Knight Jr. (82.8 PFF overall grade). The Bengals’ core isn’t getting any younger or cheaper, and key pieces, such as Hendrickson, may not have much time left in Cincinnati. After two straight 9-8 finishes, it feels like Taylor will need to at least make the playoffs this year to retain his job."

It would be shocking to see Cincinnati move on from Zac Taylor even if things went nuclear and the team disappointed again in 2025.

The Bengals are not eager to pay people not to work and that's exactly what they'd have to do if they moved on. Taylor is under contract with the team through the 2026 NFL season. An improvement on defense should keep him safe entering a contract season next year.