It’s been a whirlwind season for the Cincinnati Bengals, and not in the way fans had hoped. After dropping to 4-8, the Bengals rallied to win their last five games of the regular season to ignite faint hopes of making the postseason. However, after a second-string Chiefs were routed by the Broncos, Joe Burrow and his teammates were left to reflect on what could’ve been. Head coach Zac Taylor sprang into action firing four coaches, as his own future remains clouded. But even as their season ends, the misery isn’t over for his team.

Before their postseason hopes officially ended, the Bengals held up their end of the bargain. Led by Burrow’s 277 yards and a touchdown, they managed to see off the Steelers 19-17. The next day the Jets managed to topple Miami, but the Broncos’ resounding win over the Chiefs, confined the Bengals to a second season without the playoffs. But there is more bad news for them coming from Week 18 as the NFL slapped two of its players with massive fines.

The NFL has fined Germaine Pratt a $22,511 fine for Unnecessary Roughness after he used his helmet to hit Steelers running back Najee Harris in the fourth quarter. Notably, this is the most expensive fine for Week 18. It’s Pratt’s second fine of the year, having been penalized $16,883 for a hip-drop tackle in the Week 14 win against the Dallas Cowboys.

Pratt finished the game against the Steelers with five tackles and a tackle for loss as the Bengals defense held Pickens to one catch and zero yards. Pratt signed a three-year, $20.25 million extension prior to the 2023 season and looks set to return next season.

Meanwhile, another Bengals linebacker, Akeem Davis-Gaither, joined him on the list. Davis-Gaither received a $14,956 fine for a hip-drop tackle against Pat Freiermuth in the 4th quarter with 1:08 left on the clock. Notably, the play, which resulted in a first down with less than a minute remaining in the game, was not penalized.

Against the Steelers, Davis-Gaither led the Bengals in tackles with 12 with eight solo and one for a loss. The Bengals also face a decision over his future in the offseason. Davis-Gaither has been in Cincinnati since the Bengals drafted him in 2020 but is set to be a free agent.

Steelers WR George Pickens also joined the club with a fine for a facemask during the same game. The NFL fined him $22,511.00 for the incident in the fourth quarter, with 5:31 left on the clock. 

The win over the Steelers was the fifth in a row for the Bengals, but it turned out to be too little too late. A difficult start to the season meant Zac Taylor was under pressure by December, with rumors of him losing his job.

Taylor was able to turn around his team’s fortunes but fell short in the end. This prompted him to shake up his coaching staff in a big way with four departures announced.

Defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo was let go in a move that surprised even Travis Kelce and his brother Jason. “That was a wild, wild move I did not see coming, because I thought that, from the outside, their defense was playing really f–king good toward the end of the year,” said the Chiefs TE on ‘The New Heights Podcast.’ 

Anarumo was joined by offensive line coach Frank Pollack in leaving Cincinnati. Defensive line coach Marion Hobby and linebackers coach James Bettcher also followed them outthe exit door, paying the price for a poor season. 

Speaking about the changes, Taylor said, “As I evaluate everything within the organization, I just felt like we needed to make a change there. It’s as simple as that. We’ll start that process immediately evaluating where we need to go and who we want to bring in to take us to the next level.”

That next level jump has to come quickly for Taylor, with pressure mounting following another poor season.

Will Joe Burrow and the Bengals say goodbye to Zac Taylor?

After making swift coaching changes, the heat is on head coach Zac Taylor, who’s been leading the Bengals since 2019. And honestly, his seat is looking pretty hot after this season. Missing the playoffs after all the hype around Joe Burrow and the offense? Not a great look.

Taylor making significant coaching changes, suggests he could be on thin ice when it comes to his own role. Ever since he took the role,  the lack of readiness, questionable in-game decisions, and underwhelming performances have done little to satisfy a hungry fanbase.

As their season ended, there were calls from fans for Taylor to be fired. Comments such as, “Fire Zac Taylor now” and “not making the playoffs this season is absolutely a fireable offense,” flooded social media. Yet, it seems for the time being, he has weathered the storm. The recent firings by Taylor now put the pressure solely on his shoulders for the new season.

Taylor has to simply deliver, or else he could be the next one shown the door. It’s make-or-break time, no doubt.