The Cincinnati Bengals were once Super Bowl contenders. But three years of missed playoff berths tend to erase a Super Bowl appearance that first sparked hope for head coach Zac Taylor’s regime. If that disappointing streak stretches to 2026, many believe that might be the end of the road. But in a surprising take, Fox’s Nick Wright has named Nick Sirianni as the next man up.

“I want to be the first to report. The head coach of the 2027 Cincinnati Bengals, Nick Sirianni,” Wright said on First Things First. “Double take. It’s that Sirianni’s not back in Philadelphia next year… and the Bengals, because what I know if they miss the playoffs, is they’re firing Zac Taylor. That button has to be pushed.

“And the Bengals are the type of franchise, I believe, that would be like, doesn’t want to roll the dice for the first-time head coach again. Guys want a Super Bowl. I think if Sirianni were available, he wouldn’t necessarily have 100% of teams that have openings, would be like, ‘we want to get in that business.’”

Zac Taylor was already on the hot seat. A June report from PFF’s Bradley Locker listed him as one of 6 coaches likely to lose their jobs if 2026 doesn’t break their way. Even Nick Sirianni had made that list – albeit at the 6th spot.

“Taylor’s career in Cincinnati has continued to vacillate, going from a horrid start to a Super Bowl appearance to back on the downward swing,” Locker wrote. “Recent history hasn’t been on the head coach’s side, as the Bengals have missed the playoffs in each of the last three campaigns despite fielding tremendous offensive star power. In particular, the 2025 season was very poor with a 6-11 mark and the 20th overall ranking in team PFF grade.”

Now, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury and a porous offensive line were big reasons for the 2025 disappointment, but the defense also needed a major rework to stay competitive this season. To that effect, Cincy has made a lot of improvements for defensive coordinator Al Golden, but as Locker notes, Taylor “can’t afford another slip-up season.”

If Burrow stays healthy and Taylor can break the playoff drought of three years, he could still stay, but the same can’t be said of Nick Sirianni. Even with two Super Bowl appearances and one ring, locker room breakdowns, blown leads, and broken play-calls have already pushed the Philly fans’ patience beyond the limit.

Under first-time offensive coordinator – the fourth OC under Sirianni – the Philadelphia Eagles will have to pivot fast and prove that last season’s breakdowns were a one-off thing. If the struggles continue, Philadelphia might just pull the trigger. While Nick Wright offers a way out with the Bengals, they would need to see how Sirianni leads his team this season before making a call. And PFF’s verdict on Sirianni doesn’t make it easy.

“With a boatload of both expensive and young talent dotting every level of the team, the Eagles figure to be competitive once again in 2026,” Locker wrote on Sirianni. “But if Philadelphia has an encore performance of a year in which it placed only eighth overall PFF grade, that very well might not cut it for the uber-aggressive Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie. After all, Sirianni was reportedly almost fired after both 2023 and in 2024, and his status doesn’t appear overly protected.”

Either way, both Zac Taylor and Nick Sirianni enter 2026 with a lot more on their plate than they bargained for. The NFC East has gotten tougher, making things difficult for Sirianni. As for Taylor, nothing short of dominating the AFC North and making the playoffs once again would keep him in Cincinnati.