NFL Rumors: Zac Taylor Could Be 'Fall Guy' After Joe Burrow's Season-Ending Injury

Will the Bengals move on from Zac Taylor after this season?

CINCINNATI — There will be plenty of speculation about Zac Taylor's future in Cincinnati over the next five weeks. 

The second-year head coach is 4-22-1 since taking over for Marvin Lewis in 2019. His next road win will be his first. 

Some believe Joe Burrow's season-ending knee injury may allow Taylor to stick around for another season. Others think the team should move on and pursue a more experienced offensive mind. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller weighed in on Taylor's future in his latest NFL Draft notebook. 

"According to folks around the league, the Bengals know they have to build a better offensive line to protect their star quarterback. I've also heard that some in the Cincinnati front office have questioned Taylor's offensive strategy," Miller wrote. "They think he left Burrow in a dangerous position as he was asked to hold the ball in the pocket too long behind a bad offensive line instead of adjusting his scheme to get the ball out faster. Taylor could ultimately be the fall guy for Burrow's injury, especially since the team was won only four of his 27 games as a head coach."

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Some fans and analysts blamed the Bengals for Burrow's injury. 

Having the rookie dropback 40-50 times per game was always risky, especially since he was playing behind a below average offensive line. 

The 23-year-old hid a lot of the Bengals' flaws on offense. Cincinnati is arguably the worst team in the NFL without him. 

Whether or not Taylor sticks around for a third season could depend on what he does over the next five weeks. 

Can he lead this flawed roster to a couple of wins down the stretch? If he does, then the Bengals would probably bring him back for a third season. 

Taylor wants to stick around. He thinks the team is closing to turning a corner. He needs to show it over the next five games, starting with Sunday's matchup in Miami. 

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James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals On SI. He's also the host of the Locked on Bengals podcast and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. The Cincinnati native also wrote a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals called Enter The Jungle. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, Rapien worked at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati