Bengals: Taylor-Britt hoping fresh start under new coordinator will help him find consistency

Taylor-Britt was having a potential Pro Bowl season until that point, in his first full year as a starter. He came back and played the final two games in 2023 but hasn’t been able to get back to that pre-injury form.

The 2022 second-round draft pick gave up 54 catches on 83 targets (65.1 percent) for 751 yards (13.9 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns last season and his performances were so poor he was twice benched before season-ending injuries to Dax Hill and DJ Turner thrust him back into his starting job.

“You have to be confident in your game, and I don’t think I played with confidence,” Taylor-Britt said. “Yes, I can go out there and stay hyped and everything, but I hate for someone to catch a ball, and it happened too many times. That’s what kind of knocked me down. I can’t be that way.”

Taylor-Britt called it an “up-and-down” season but the first 12 games were especially bad, while he allowed a completion percentage 9.3% higher than expectation and surrendered 24 expected points added when targeted, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

His performances improved some over the final five games, when former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo tossed out the zone looks that were intended to assist Taylor-Britt and the other cornerbacks. Going back to simpler man coverage allowed the defensive line to start getting more pressure on the quarterback, and Taylor-Britt said that helped the secondary “play faster,” but the damage of the poor start was done.

“It was a rollercoaster,” he said. “Good corners can’t have a rollercoaster season. You’ve got to stay that same way the whole season.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The Bengals appear to be counting on Taylor-Britt getting back on track and Hill and Turner returning to the same level they had begun playing just before their injuries ended their 2024 campaigns. They signed no corners in free agency and didn’t address the position in the draft, despite not re-signing nickel Mike Hilton.

That means Taylor-Britt is now the veteran of the group. Hill, the team’s 2022 first-round pick, also is in his fourth season but only moved from safety last offseason and is still learning the outside cornerback position.

Taylor-Britt said he is ready to embrace that leadership role, and becoming a father to a son born in September has helped prepare him for that.

“That little man has changed me in many ways,” Taylor-Britt said. “I think I’ve matured where I needed to. I think a lot of things happen for a reason, so I’m planning on changing that.

“I can’t shy away from that (leadership role),” he added. “It’s right there for me to take on, lead these guys the right way, be consistent, be vocal and go out there and ball and keep everyone together.”

Taylor-Britt went into the offseason ready to turn the page quickly. He took about a week off, taking his son home to Alabama for a christening and family time, and then immediately got back to work training for the 2025 season.

The goal now is to put 2024 in the past and help the defense “change the narrative.”

For Taylor-Britt, it’s just about finding his way again. He was always known for bringing the “juice” and he lost that last year. The Bengals need him to get it back.

“I need it all,” Taylor-Britt said. “No fear of failure. That’s how I have to play. I was talking to some people and they were like, ‘Where’s that fire that Cam played with?’ And I think that’s what I need to play with, man. That fire under me.”