Zac Taylor Sees New Defensive Leaders Transforming Bengals Culture
The Cincinnati Bengals have added big name veterans and bolstered their defensive unit ahead of the new season.
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Zac Taylor (Image via Imagn Images)
The Cincinnati Bengals currently find themselves staring down a frustrating stretch of NFL mediocrity, missing the postseason for three consecutive years. Obviously, this prolonged drought has sparked widespread grumbling about the franchise’s overall direction.
Despite possessing an explosive offensive core, the inability to close out critical games has left the team fighting an uphill battle. Amid this adversity, a silver lining has emerged in the form of a completely rejuvenated defensive leadership group this offseason.
The Bengals have frequently faltered under pressure, as navigating clutch plays has become an Achilles heel. They need a voice to guide them through it all, and it seems like they have gotten their anchor with the high-caliber veterans traded in this offseason.
The high-profile arrivals of veteran stars Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook, and Boye Mafe, alongside a blockbuster trade for defensive linchpin Dexter Lawrence, have injected immediate accountability. Crucial to this defensive turnaround is the unwavering trust that head coach Zac Taylor maintains in his revamped squad.
Rather than panicking under intense external scrutiny, Taylor has leaned heavily on his new veteran core to establish a resilient culture. This mutual confidence has allowed the new acquisitions to command the locker room, transforming a historically vulnerable unit into a disciplined, vocal force. Taylor addressed the revamped defensive unit in Ohio:
The leadership on the defensive side has really expanded over the last few months. We have guys who have experienced a lot of things over their years in the league.
The Bengals have history on their side to avoid one of the worst defensive failures in history
The Cincinnati Bengals‘ offense surrendered an NFL-record-tying nine defensive touchdowns during the 2025 season. It was, in fact, a major anomaly that accounted for 13% of the 492 total points they allowed in the whole season.
Cincinnati gave up six interception returns and three fumble returns, leading the league and doubling the totals of the next-worst teams. Joe Burrow threw three of those Pick 6s, while Joe Flacco threw one, and Jake Browning added one more.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the last team to record six or more pick 6 in a single season, becoming only the fifth team ever to do so in 2019. Tight end Noah Fant was responsible for all three fumble-return touchdowns. In total, the Bengals surrendered 111 points off turnovers, the fourth-highest mark in franchise history.
Historical data suggests this trend will not continue into 2026. Of the four other times a team in NFL history has given up nine defensive touchdowns in a year, three of them reduced that number to one or zero the following season. The Miami Dolphins had two seasons, 1999 and 2004, while the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs gave away nine times in 1993 and 1984, respectively.
The Dolphins brought that tally to one the following season after they gave up nine on both accounts (the 1999-2000 and 2004-2005 tandems). The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t allow for any, but the Saints gave away five in 1994 anyway.
However, even if the Bengals allow zero defensive touchdowns in 2026, the nine scores allowed last year ensure they will still set a franchise record for the most permitted in a back-to-back stretch, surpassing the previous record of eight set from 2009 to 2010. Nonetheless, it seems like the only way for the Bengals is up. They were the second-worst defense last year, and they have taken major steps to improve it.
The additions to the defensive unit might just be what they need to run it back to the Super Bowl. Also, while a playoff run after a slow start seems like a great story, it’s a gamble that they will need to avoid this time around.
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