Bengals coach surprised to hear they might be signing Ezekiel Elliott

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor certainly added some intrigue to the potential Ezekiel Elliott acquisition for his Super Bowl-contending franchise.

Although Zac Taylor likes where his team is at now, you better believe the Cincinnati Bengals would be one stellar fit for former Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott in his NFL free agency.

Taylor was speaking at St. Xavier’s on Thursday night and was asked about the Bengals’ supposed interest in the former Ohio State star tailback. While Taylor may have tried to dispel the rumors of Cincinnati adding Elliott, his smile leads you to think of something else. For real, Elliott joining the Bengals would be absolute fire. They need to protect Joe Burrow better, and he can help with that.

The Bengals may have been a wishlist team for Elliott, but they are a spot where he would thrive.

The two other teams loosely connected to Elliott this late into the free agency process are the Philadelphia Eagles, who are at best lukewarm on him, and the New York Jets, who still need to figure out how to go about trading for Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers this spring.

Should Elliott sign with the Bengals, expect for Ohioans from all over to be in rare form over it.

Cincinnati Bengals HC Zac Taylor intrigued by Ezekiel Elliott free agency rumors

Look. The Bengals just need to find a way to make this happen, alright. They have maybe one more year before they have to pay Burrow big money. Historically cheap Cincinnati has semi-reluctantly conceded to allowing most sacred Paul Brown Stadium to be renamed. You cannot pay Burrow in hugs and pats on the back. As far as how Elliott would fit in, he does get the big picture.

Elliott was the best offensive player on Ohio State’s most recent national championship team in 2014. He may have grown up in Greater St. Louis, but he knows how big of a deal it is to play professionally in Ohio if you are a former Buckeye. Although at this stage of his NFL career, Elliott is not going to be Archie Griffin. However, his career trajectory perfectly aligns with the Bengals.

Cincinnati is on a shortlist of three teams who are probably going to win the AFC next year and get to the Super Bowl. The Bengals have elite offensive weapons everywhere. Although the defense could regress in some capacity, Taylor is so beyond fortunate to have his two elite coordinators in Lou Anarumo and Brian Callahan back for one more season. They should be head coaches in 2024.

Since Elliott can receive out of the backfield and is not afraid to get physical in pass protection, he is exactly the type of player Cincinnati could use in the running back room, especially if they pivot off Joe Mixon this spring. Elliott’s days of being a bell-cow are cooked, but he would be going to a better-run football operation in Cincinnati than the extreme decadence he experienced with Dallas.

Elliott would have to take a discount to come to the Bengals, but this is the superior landing spot.