Bengals HC Zac Taylor shares admission about unique AFC North situation

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns all have new head coaches following the 2025 season. Thus, that leaves Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals as the last man standing as it pertains to AFC North coaches who were employed by their current clubs this past September. 

While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, Taylor was asked about being the division's longest-tenured head coach. 

Zac Taylor comments on "strange" situation

"Well, it’s strange," Taylor admitted, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "You know, I’ve got a lot of respect for those three guys I’ve been competing against the last few years, and obviously, great coaches and [they] have had a lot of success. So, it’s a little strange, but I’m sure that I’ll get used to it very quickly."

Mike Tomlin spent 19 seasons serving as the Steelers' head coach before he surprisingly stepped down from his role shortly after Pittsburgh suffered a blowout wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Texans. John Harbaugh had been Baltimore's head coach since January 2008, but he was shockingly fired after the 2025 Ravens missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Browns showed Kevin Stefanski the door after he completed a fourth losing season in five years.

As for Taylor, pockets of Cincinnati fans called for his dismissal even before the club officially missed the playoffs for a third straight season. There's no indication Bengals ownership came close to firing Taylor, who has guided the club to a pair of conference championship games and a Super Bowl appearance since being hired in 2019.

Zac Taylor grateful Bengals have "continuity" (for now)

Taylor was asked how the landscape of the AFC North has changed from what it was early last fall. 

"Not for me to sit here and say today," Taylor responded. "Maybe those teams will evolve in different ways than they have over the last couple years. Kind of impossible for me to say, but exciting for us. We’ve got continuity. We’ve got to capitalize on that and continue to build and move forward."

It seems likely such "continuity" will disappear if the Bengals fail to at least reach the playoffs next January.