The Cincinnati Bengals have inked head coach Zac Taylor to a new contract extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2026 season. The new deal comes 3 days after Taylor helped lead the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in decades.
“Zac has come into the league and worked to develop the foundations for a winning program that can be successful over time. The fruits of Zac’s efforts were seen this year, and Zac is well-regarded by our players and coaches. I know the effort and passion Zac brings to the building and to our team, and I am pleased by his approach. And I think the city of Cincinnati sees him the way the players and I do. He’s brought excitement to the town and deserves credit and recognition for that.” said Bengals president Mike Brown in a statement.
Only 38 years old, Taylor was about to enter into the final year of his 4 year contract signed back in 2019 when he took over for Marvin Lewis. After struggling through a 2-14 campaign in 2019, Cincinnati saw only marginal improvement in 2020 going 4-11-1. However, with a fully healthy Joe Burrow under centre, and rookie WR Ja’Marr Chase, the former LSU Tigers helped the Bengals go 10-7 and win the AFC North this year.
In three seasons with the team, Taylor sports a 16-32-1 record, however the future in the Queen City has arguably never been brighter. With their first playoff win in 31 seasons, and first Super Bowl appearance since 1989, Zac Taylor has Cincinnati poised to compete in the loaded AFC for years to come.
“If I coached in any other organization in football, I probably wouldn’t be here right now in my third year. That’s the truth,” Taylor said. The Brown family’s patience with their first time head coach has paid off in spades as Cincinnati has gone from afterthought at 75 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl last year, to one of the favourites to come out of the AFC in 2022.
Up next for Taylor and the Bengals is the NFL Draft on Thursday April 28th where it’s largely expected the team will invest heavily on the offensive line. With the culture that Taylor has established in Cincy, and some reinforcements to help keep their star quarterback upright, it’s conceivable that this won’t be the last time we see the Bengals vying for a Lombardi trophy over the next few seasons.