NFL Network analyst picks Zac Taylor for Coach of the Year in 2020

Nate Burleson made a bold prediction on Good Morning Football on Monday: Zac Taylor will win Coach of the Year in 2020.

Burleson is the next host of GMFB to warm up to the Bengals. Kay Adams wore a Bengals’ shirt on the show in June, and Peter Schrager has been on the Joe Burrow bandwagon since the draft.

Burleson, who played for the Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions, thinks Taylor has a real chance to win Coach of the Year.

“You guys are like, ‘Nate, what’s going on with all this Bengals hype?’” he said. “I don’t know, guys. I can’t call it. When I get excited about a squad, I just get excited and I have to go all the way in.

“They’re going off that 2-14 season,” he continued. “They’re going to have to have one hell of a turnaround. But there’s some things that you got to look forward to. One, he’s 37 years old. Just like players that stub their toes and have rookie woes, so do coaches.

“But what did he do this offseason? They went out there and got the best player in the draft: Joe Burrow...A.J. Green is back on the football field. Seems like we haven’t seen him in quite some time. Hopefully John Ross is going to be healthy, because he’s going to help Tee Higgins and [Tyler] Boyd at wide receiver...I’m looking at this squad, and I feel like, with everything they have surrounding their quarterback—including Joe Mixon, who just got re-signed—that’s a lot to work with if you’re Zac Taylor.”

Burleson acknowledged that it will be tough, especially in the AFC North. But if the Bengals can turn things around, all credit goes to Taylor.

“If they turn around and have a good season, how can you not look at the Bengals and give Zac Taylor credit for one hell of a turnaround?”

He also admits that the Coach of the Year award never goes to a coach for winning only eight or nine games. The Bengals have to make the playoffs.

“Is it crazy to think that Joe Burrow, who is as cool as ever, is going to have an amazing year and light up the defenses in the AFC? It’s not out of the question.

The full segment is embedded below: