The 2026 season is an incredibly important one for the Cincinnati Bengals, and expectations are through the roof. This comes in a year when the Bengals brought back head coach Zac Taylor and GM Duke Tobin despite missing the playoffs for three seasons in a row.
Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn recently opened up about that decision. She explained that it came down to a belief that they deserved another opportunity.
“I think both Zac and Duke are experienced guys with proven success and really good people, and we feel good about them for a lot of reasons,” Blackburn said. “We think they deserve another opportunity to prove that we can do what we hope we can do.”
Blackburn is the daughter of Bengals owner Mike Brown and the granddaughter of Paul Brown. She’s also married to Bengals’ vice president Troy Blackburn.
“There’s also that element of consistency that hopefully will prove out to be beneficial, too, so I think those are the things that we would rather try to take advantage of and build on, rather than having to regroup and figure things out a little bit from scratch,” Blackburn said.
Duke Tobin has been with the Bengals since 1999. During that time, the Bengals have nine playoff appearances. That includes two playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance since Zac Taylor became the head coach in 2019. However, coming off a 6-11 season, the pressure is on.
“We obviously are hoping to have a successful season this year,” Blackburn said. “And I know they want to do that as much as I want to do that. And I can’t predict anything into the future, but we’re certainly counting right now and having a good season and going from there.”
Cincinnati Bengals HC Zac Taylor Could be on the Hot Seat
GettyCincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor
The Cincinnati Bengals have had a lot of success under Zac Taylor. That includes nearly winning a Super Bowl. Except, the NFL is a what have you done for me lately league. Lately, Taylor has struggled, and that could have him on the hot seat.
“But this year, 2026, is the one to circle in red. If the Bengals underwhelm after a strong offseason, it might not matter that Taylor still has one year left on his deal,” Chris Roling of USA Today’s Bengals Wire wrote.
Roling isn’t alone, though. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic agreed, writing that there are no excuses this season. The buck stops with Taylor.
“There is no other fall guy if things don’t work this year. Barring injury, nobody will point fingers at Burrow,” Dehner wrote. “The front office earned a reprieve with a strong offseason, and even the quarterback told people ‘we have everything we need’ and to back off the personnel department.”
Bengals Get Updated Super Bowl Odds from FPI
GettyCincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and QB Joe Burrow
Excitement about the Cincinnati Bengals in 2026 extends beyond the team facilities and fanbase. Even analytics, like ESPN’s FPI model, have some high expectations.
FPI is giving the Bengals the 11th-best chance to win the Super Bowl, at a 4.0% chance. That may not seem like a massive number, but it is better than teams like the New England Patriots, who won the AFC a year ago.
Notably, the Baltimore Ravens are still considered the top dog in the AFC North by FPI. They have a 9.4% chance to win it all, which is third-best in the NFL.
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