Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor Will Only Leave Cincinnati 'In A Casket'

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Following a 6-25-1 start to his career as a head coach, Zac Taylor's seat in Cincinnati seemed quite warm. But after back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl berth for the Bengals, Taylor is the guy for the long haul.

And, according to him, the REALLY LONG haul.

Taylor spoke to the Cincinnati Enquirer and said he expects to be the team's head coach for a long time. And that's exactly where he wants to be.

"They're gonna have to carry me out of here in a casket," Zac Taylor told the paper. "I love it. Just specifically, Cincinnati. It's a really good fit for my family and myself, and the other coaches, and the owners, and (Bengals Director of Player Personnel) Duke Tobin. I just can’t imagine myself anywhere else. They’ll have to kick me out of here."

Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to the AFC Championship Game.

Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to the AFC Championship Game. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It's no coincidence that Taylor's ascension coincided with the emergence of quarterback Joe Burrow.

Zac Taylor helped elevate the Cincinnati Bengals to perennial Super Bowl contender

In Taylor's first season, the team went 2-14. But that worked out because they "earned" the number one pick in the NFL Draft. They used that selection to pick Burrow. Largely forgotten is in that draft Cincinnati also had the first pick in the second round (obviously).

The Bengals used that pick on Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins.

In Burrow's first season, the team continued to struggle and the quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. That worked out, though, because the Bengals got the fifth pick in the draft following a 4-11-1 campaign.

They used that selection on Burrow's college teammate, Ja'Marr Chase.

From there, the Bengals "Big Three" of Burrow, Chase and Higgins was ready to go.

Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals sit in the front for the Cincinnati Bengals team photo.

Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals sit in the front for the Cincinnati Bengals team photo. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Cincinnati started the 2021 season 7-6 before winning six of is next seven games en route to a Super Bowl defeat against the Rams.

This season, the Bengals started 4-4 prior to winning 10-straight games before a heartbreaking AFC Championship loss against eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City.

Zac Taylor knows that Cincinnati is a great place to coach, and should have no desire to go elsewhere. He has a franchise quarterback, an electric offensive playmaker and a solid defense. Plus, the Bengals have cap room to continue to make postseason runs.

The marriage between Taylor and the Bengals is one that seems destined for a long run.

Til death do they part.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.