Zac Taylor’s job security has been questioned more than once in 2024… But he held on. Or got lucky. Because history shows Cincy doesn’t fire coaches midseason, almost ever. The Bengals have parted ways with a head coach during the season just twice in their entire franchise history, and both came in the last century. So, that didn’t happen last season. Taylor, who’s under contract through 2026, held the one thing no other Bengals coach can claim.. A Super Bowl appearance… And a follow-up AFC Championship berth. That résumé alone buys him more runway than most. Even in 2023, with Joe Burrow injured, Taylor kept the team afloat at 4-3 down the stretch. If anything, that performance hardened ownership’s belief in him.
But let’s not sugarcoat the expectations heading into 2025. The Bengals haven’t handled post-Super Bowl success well in the past. After their 1981 and 1988 runs, the bottom fell out. That failure to sustain has haunted the Mike Brown era. Especially as the top 10 quarterbacks were asked to carry flawed rosters. Drafting David Klingler and Akili Smith derailed entire decades. Even Carson Palmer, who gave the Bengals brief playoff life, eventually demanded a trade. So, the pressure isn’t just on Taylor—it’s systemic. With Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins back in the fold (for now), there’s a sense that this might be the final clean run with the original core.
That’s why the buzz around Micah Parsons feels like a turning point. In past eras, the Bengals wouldn’t even entertain the idea of making a splash trade for a player on a massive deal. But 2025 could be different. If Cincinnati is pivoting from preservation mode to all-in aggression, Parsons becomes more than a luxury. That right there is an EDGE statement. Taylor isn’t just coaching for wins anymore. He’s managing a fragile window with elite talent and high expectations. And if the front office is truly ready to back that urgency with moves, it won’t be the old missteps that define Taylor’s tenure—it’ll be whether he delivers when the runway runs out.
According to BengalsWire, they have quietly adjusted on-field and offseason strategies under Zac Taylor, focusing less on tradition and more on maximizing their real-time roster potential. Even if that means making tough decisions. That’s where the whole rumor starts. As it stands, the Bengals could go for it and target Cowboys‘ #11. Micah Parsons. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox writes it clearly, “Adding Parsons to a core that includes Burrow, Chase, and Higgins would help ensure Cincinnati is a perennial threat. Pairing Parsons with rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart would also help ensure the Bengals have a quality pass rush for the foreseeable future.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 29: Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Micah Parsons 11 looks on before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on December 29, 2024 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA DEC 29 Cowboys at Eagles EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon24122965
After all, Parsons made the rare move of publicly requesting a trade. “I no longer want to be here” on social media, after contract talks basically went nowhere all offseason per various reports. Can you blame the guy? He’s 26, a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the scariest pass rushers in the league. But Dallas… More so, Jerry Jones‘ office is dragging its feet on giving him the big deal he’s earned, and Parsons wants out, now.
If the Bengals were to make a move, it’d be a big departure from their old playbook. Instead of riding out a veteran or sticking to slow-building draft picks, they could get an elite, still-young, cornerstone defender at the exact moment Dallas is most likely to listen. Plus, it fits the Who Dey’s book of not paying a 30-year-old Trey Hendrickson, too.
Now, what’s the Trey Hendrickson contract solution with Micah Parsons?
In the same published piece for B/R, Knox wrote: “The Bengals don’t want to commit to a 30-year-old defender long-term on a top-of-the-market deal. But they might feel differently about committing to a 26-year-old perennial Pro Bowler. Spending big to acquire a star and then locking him up isn’t the sort of move the Bengals typically make.” But Knox suggests they should do it. It’s all about breaking the pattern, right?
Here’s where things get really interesting. Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s reigning sack king, perennial Pro Bowler, and all-around defensive linchpin, just wrapped a messy holdout over his contract. While he finally reported to camp as a goodwill gesture, don’t read too much into it. Hendrickson says, “the situation is still the same…” And his future here is anything but guaranteed.
The Bengals offered a one-year extension worth $21 million, with $8 million guaranteed. But it fell well short of the long-term security and guarantees other premier rushers have secured, according to OverTheCap. The team’s hesitation? Hendrickson’s age, he’s set to turn 31 this season. As much as the Bengals respect what he brings, they’re wary of dumping top-of-market cash into a defender approaching the twilight of his prime, especially when Micah Parsons, six years younger, is suddenly on the market.
If Cincinnati does hammer out a deal with Hendrickson, it could buy them short-term stability but might also box them in financially, closing the door on a mega-splash like Micah Parsons. That’s the chess match. Keep the proven veteran happy or aim for a long-term superstar and totally flip the script on Bengals team building under Zac Taylor. The mere fact they’re weighing this shows a new, more aggressive face to Bengals management. One that fans should be watching closely. Will the Bengals double down on Hendrickson for the here and now, or break tradition and roll the dice on Parsons as the possible missing piece to a Lombardi run?
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