A glimpse into the toxic culture of the Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals hired Zac Taylor in February 2019 in hopes he would rejuvenate their franchise. He brought a young and fresh outlook full of hope.

As we enter week 12 of the 2020 season, his vision of strong communication and culture flowing through the locker room has yet to materialize. The Bengals are 2-7-1 on the year and 4-21-1 since Taylor became head coach.

If his intentions are good, what is being created under the current regime at the Paul Brown stadium is far from a dream environment of trust and cohesion. Instead, sources tell AllBengals it’s the exact opposite.

We’ve heard Taylor say time and time again that players are “buying” his vision, and while some players publicly agree with him, that isn’t quite the case behind the scenes.

You don’t have to be in the locker room to know quarterback Joe Burrow was respected among his teammates and coaches. He was elected captain before taking his first official NFL shot. He is a source of energy and hope for the other players around him.

His presence was a sign that things might get better in the future. Burrow is a man his peers can rally behind and believe behind, a true leader leading the rest through a chaotic season.

In Week 11, in Cincinnati’s 20-9 Road loss to Washington, the Bengals franchise quarterback suffered a horrific knee injury, which ended his season. Sources say Burrow tore up his ACL and MCL. He also suffered damage to his PCL and meniscus.

When the team watched their captain come down, hearing him moan in pain, the sidelines completely deflated.

The spark of their football team was then transported off the pitch.

After the game, Taylor was asked if he sensed a change in body language and energy when Burrow left the game and Taylor replied “no”.

He relayed a similar message to his team following Sunday’s loss according to sources. The players smiled at each other throughout the post-game conversation.

“We see through it,” said a member of the team.

With injuries mounting, the squad’s players look to veterans like wide receiver Tyler Boyd and running back Giovani Bernard for leadership as they ride the relentless wave of adversity throughout this season. season.

When it comes to the head coach, the players want transparency, accountability and clear expectations. This type of leadership begins and ends with relationships.

Did Taylor take the time to get to know all of his players? Does he have an open door policy?

The second-year coach declined to comment.

Andy Dalton’s run with the Bengals ended in April. The team released him after selecting Burrow with the No.1 pick.

Some players on the team weren’t happy with the way this situation had been handled, but it was just another reminder that the NFL is a business.

When Dalton was benched for Ryan Finley in Week 8 of the 2019 season, he shared his frustration with the media. He was upset about the lack of communication between himself and the coaching staff. The decision to bench him came three hours before the transaction deadline.

At the time, Dalton thought his agent could have found him a starting spot on another team, but he didn’t have enough time to facilitate a trade. It wasn’t just about Taylor.

The Bengals held onto Dalton while his stock was at an all-time high and waited for his value to plummet before releasing him in April.

Disgruntled players come with the territory of a change of coach. How new coaches relate to these players during the transition is a critical step in the culture of a dressing room.

Many sources have described the culture in Cincinnati as more of a “college-level” environment rather than a professional locker room.

A team member said the culture doesn’t even compare to a college locker room.

“It’s worse,” they said.

Several people in the organization think that the players remain silent because they do not want to waste playing time. They say that there is very little trust between the players and the technical staff.

Taylor declined to comment when I asked about the trust issues between his players and the staff.

When the Bengals lost to the Browns 35-30 in Week 2, sources claim Carlos Dunlap was unwilling to return to the game after coaching staff kept him away for more than a quarter.

Instead of putting the double Pro Bowler aside and talking to him directly afterwards, the coaching staff held a team meeting. They singled out Dunlap in hopes of setting the standard for the team, but several players were rubbed the wrong way when they saw this unfold.

“I’ve never seen this in my life, it was embarrassing,” a source said.

It’s no secret that Dunlap and the coaches faced off.

Meanwhile, some players have shied away from lining up with Dunlap due to politics inside the locker room. Not everyone agreed with the way their situation was being handled, but they felt the need to choose sides.

Weeks after the embarrassing reunion that left some scratching their heads, Dunlap discovered he was demoted. He was not informed of his removal of the emergency package by coaches and instead discovered the change when he walked into a coach’s office and saw the switch on the whiteboard. Soon after, he got a media engagement and his raw emotions spread.

“I’m really trying to figure out the plan,” Dunlap said. “It’s a little frustrating you know. I just wanna get ready for Baltimore but I have to get ready to understand the madness they’re doing.”

The Bengals traded Dunlap following friction between him and the coaching staff. He’s in a better position with the Seahawks, who currently hold the No. 1 spot in the NFC West.

Like Dunlap, John Ross tried to force his way out of town before the trade deadline. He had become frustrated with his role and the lack of communication from the coaching staff.

In October, the former first-round pick took to Twitter to respond to some of the criticisms he had received.

“It’s no secret that I asked for a trade,” Ross said. “Swap me if that’s how you feel. I’m healthy and I want to play. I know I can be productive. It’s hard to love something when you aren’t really participating in it. -me, it’s not football that I don’t like. “

There is complete disconnection and a lack of trust between several players and coaches in the building according to some team affiliates.

Sources say defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is unreachable. They add that he regularly uses abusive language and commonly calls gamers “stupid mothers” and “idiots”.

They say Anarumo has created an environment where communication and accountability are scarce. He often yells at one player for mistakes and chooses to ignore other players’ mistakes in his favor.

Taylor declined to comment when asked about Anarumo’s language and coaching style.

Offensive lineman Jim Turner also uses abusive language according to several members of the organization. In the spring, he called former Ohio State Prince Buckeye Isaiah Prince a “thug” in a Zoom meeting.

When former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley found out about the incident, he “stirred up hell” and asked Turner to apologize to Prince. Turner obliged.

As for the offensive line meeting room, the standards are low and the lack of accountability. There is little competition for the starting spots on the offensive line because Turner has “his guys”. Michel Jordan is an excellent example.

Burrow’s playing ability was friendly on the offensive line and he was consistently hit 72 times in nine games, which was tied with Daniel Jones for the most by a rookie quarterback in his first nine games in the last 20 NFL seasons.

Many people get more and more frustrated, but they stay low and continue to work in the hope that they will be better off in the future. Where is the team going from here?

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