Blackburn backs Taylor and Tobin after playoff drought

Blackburn counts – Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said the organization is counting on Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin to turn around a three-season playoff absence, while acknowledging consistency over a quick reset—and hinting that future coaching stability depends

The Bengals’ offseason promise didn’t come with a sweeping reset. It came with a quiet insistence—delivered Monday by Katie Blackburn—that Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin still have the organization’s full belief as Cincinnati heads into another season chasing the playoffs.

Blackburn, speaking to a small group of reporters via Paul Dehner of The Athletic, framed the decision in blunt terms. “We think they deserve another opportunity to prove that we can do what we hope we can do,” she said. The stakes behind that message are hard to ignore. After the 2025 season. Taylor had effectively become the “dean” of AFC North coaching jobs by default because he was the only one to stay in his role.

Cincinnati has also been stuck in a long stretch of disappointment by its own standards. The team has entered this point with a streak of three seasons without a playoff berth. and that reality has fueled speculation that changes could finally be coming—either involving Taylor or director of player personnel Duke Tobin.

Blackburn’s answer was clear, even if it avoided guarantees. “We obviously are hoping to have a successful season this year,” she said. “I know [Taylor and Tobin] want to do that as much as I want to do that. I can’t predict anything into the future. but we’re certainly counting on. right now. having a good season and going from there.”.

There’s a practical edge to the patience. Blackburn didn’t lean on sentiment alone—she pointed to experience and the value of not disrupting what’s already in place. She described both leaders as “experienced guys with proven success and really good people. ” adding that the organization is trying to “take advantage of and build on” consistency rather than “having to regroup and figure things out a little bit from scratch.”.

The Bengals’ calculus is also tied to the business side of coaching. Taylor has two years left on his contract. and Blackburn’s comments come with the understanding that the team typically doesn’t want to pay coaches to not work. One major detail hangs over everything: whether both years of Taylor’s deal are guaranteed. The last time the Bengals moved on from Marvin Lewis. he was fired with a year left on his contract—yet the final year wasn’t guaranteed.

At the Monday session, Blackburn was joined by her daughter, Elizabeth Blackburn, who recently received a vice president title. Elizabeth’s message carried the same theme, with sharper language about risk and process. “We are trying to take very measured steps to maximize our chances with known commodities,” she said. “We think we’ve made changes in certain processes. on the roster. behind the scenes. certain things that can lead to different outcomes. That’s hard sometimes to totally see. But certain change comes with big risk. And we think we’re in a good spot.”.

That “good spot” is about more than optimism. It has to show up early, because Cincinnati has traditionally struggled to build momentum at the start of the season. This year, the demand is straightforward: it’s “imperative to come out of the gates with as many wins as possible.”

The door to change is still there, though. If the Bengals miss the playoffs again—and if Taylor’s salary isn’t guaranteed for 2027—there would be at least one coaching change in the AFC North after the season ends. For Blackburn, Taylor and Tobin, the message was not a farewell to pressure.

It was a push to survive it with results.

Bengals Zac Taylor Duke Tobin Katie Blackburn Elizabeth Blackburn AFC North NFL playoffs coaching contracts Marvin Lewis 2027 guaranteed salary