The Cincinnati Bengals finished their season with a 20-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Their 6-11 record marked Cincinnati’s worst since 2020 and resulted in the team missing the postseason for the third consecutive season.
Following the season, team president Mike Brown released a statement confirming the return of head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin. In the statement, Brown said, “I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward. They have proven they can build and lead teams that compete for championships. We trust their plans and expect to return to our desired level of success.” The statement received a mixed response, as some Bengals fans wanted the team to move forward in a different direction.
Celebrity Puts Bengals Ownership on Blast
One of those fans who did not enjoy the statement made by the team was celebrity super-fan Nick Lachey, who took to social media to express his displeasure. In his Instagram post, Lachey called out Bengals ownership, saying, “This ownership doesn’t care. They don’t care about you, they don’t care about me, and they don’t care about the city of Cincinnati which we all love dearly. They care about making money hand over fist on the backs of all the hardworking Cincinnatians who show up year after year to watch this parody.”
Lachey praised some of the Bengals players, including Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In the post he tagged and called Burrow the perfect quarterback for the city of Cincinnati. However, he said the team was wasting his talents by poor draft decisions and their inability to build a competent defense. Cincinnati’s defense finished 30th this year with 28.9 points per game allowed.
Additionally, he called the statement released by Mike Brown pathetic, but predictable. Actor Jerry Ferrara commented on Lachey’s post, writing “This is awesome bro. I feel you.”
Future of the Bengals
Lachey is not the only Bengals fan to feel that way. After back-to-back seasons of making it to at least the AFC Championship, the team has now missed the postseason for three straight seasons and have not made any significant changes. Additionally, it seems that the team is poised to lose All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. Regarding Hendrickson’s upcoming free agency, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said, “This relationship has run its course. The Bengals have the option to franchise tag Hendrickson, but after a year of contentious contract negotiations, the edge rusher appears poised to land elsewhere and capitalize on a booming positional market.”
The Bengals will hold the No. 10 overall selection in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. According to Lachey, the team will likely continue to swing and miss on defensive players as they don’t know how to build a defense in the draft.
Aside from retaining Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor, the Bengals confirmed that they will make no changes to their coaching staff. That means defensive coordinator Al Golden, who faced questions regarding his job security, will return for the 2026 season.
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