Zac Taylor has turned the Cincinnati Bengals into a trending playoff contender since the 2021 season. The head coach has unleashed a vaunted offensive attack on defenses that’s led to three straight winning seasons, including clinching the AFC title in ’21.
But is Taylor wealthy off the field? Time to dive into what his net worth is.
Details on Zac Taylor’s Net Worth for 2024
As one of the brightest offensive coaches in the NFL, many would believe Taylor has a very healthy bank account.
Sure enough, he does, as Taylor is estimated to have a net worth of $4 million.
Taylor has built his wealth by producing some of the best Bengals teams in the franchise’s 57 seasons. He’s the only head coach in the history of the team to lead Cincinnati to back-to-back conference title game appearances — which happened in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
He also helped end one notable skid involving the franchise. By defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the ’21 season playoffs, Taylor helped end a 21-year dry spell of winning a postseason game. That victory additionally ended a seven-game losing streak for the Bengals in the Wild Card Round.
Did Taylor Have an NFL Contract Before Coaching Career?
Taylor also holds this claim in the league: going from a former NFL player to a head coach.
The quarterback from Nebraska entered the 2007 NFL Draft after throwing for 3,197 yards and 26 touchdowns with only eight interceptions during his final season with the Cornhuskers. He ended up going undrafted but managed to latch on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a undrafted free agent.
However, Taylor never threw a pass for the Buccaneers in training camp as the team opted to cut him before camp even began.
“I didn’t even know you could be cut before camp,” Taylor said to Sports Illustrated during a 2018 interview when he served as the Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach.
Taylor eventually made his way to the Canadian Football League to suit up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While terms of Taylor’s CFL contract were never made public, the average salary for starting QBs in the CFL range between $300,000 to $500,000. Taylor, though, was limited to the Blue Bombers’ practice squad.
Taylor’s Rise as an NFL Coach
Taylor has witnessed a quicker ascension with the headset and play-call sheet.
He began his coaching career at Texas A&M under former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman from 2008 to 2011. Taylor then jumped to the NFL with the Miami Dolphins in 2012 as he helped oversee the quarterback room. He eventually became the team’s offensive coordinator in 2015.
But Taylor’s work with the Los Angeles Rams cemented his case as a future NFL head coach. He assisted Sean McVay into creating a 2017 air attack that ranked 10th overall in passing yards — a significant jump from the team’s 31st ranking in 2016.
Taylor eventually was elevated to quarterbacks coach in 2018 — which ended with Jared Goff producing a career-best 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns during their NFC title run.
What Was Taylor’s First NFL Head Coach Contract?
The Bengals became so impressed that they tabbed Taylor as their head coach on Feb. 4, 2019. Taylor was a young 35-year-old when he landed his first HC gig.
“I am happy and fortunate to join the Cincinnati Bengals as head coach,” Taylor said in a statement following his hire. “This is a great organization with good people and a rich history, and I am excited to get started.
“I am looking to add to that history by setting high standards, and holding everyone here accountable to those standards. There is a lot of work to do, and this is Day 1. We’re going to attack every day with enthusiasm to get this team ready to go.”
However, Taylor was given one of the league’s lowest-paid contracts when he accepted the Bengals’ deal: four years for only $3.75 million.
His finances ultimately changed, though, by producing two playoff teams in Cincinnati while also ending the city’s long wait for an NFL playoff win. Taylor was rewarded with a Feb. 2022 extension after Super Bowl 56 that pays him above $4.5 million annually.
Now, he’s entered his sixth season of coaching the Bengals — joining Marvin Lewis, Steve Wyche, and Paul Brown as the only head coaches to surpass five seasons with the team.