Zac Taylor admits breaking NFL challenge flag rule for 8 years as league makes change

A flimsy alteration to an NFL regularisation has been acceptable earlier the commencement of the 2026 season, but it’s thing caller for Cincinnati Bengals caput manager Zac Taylor.

He admitted he’s technically been breaking an NFL regularisation for the past 8 years.

The alteration is that each team’s caput manager volition beryllium capable to delegate the quality to usage the reddish situation emblem to idiosyncratic other connected the unit if they truthful wish.

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Zac Taylor, caput manager of the Cincinnati Bengals, talks to the media during grooming campy astatine Kettering Health Practice Fields successful Cincinnati, Ohio, connected July 29, 2026. (Getty Images)

It was the work of the caput manager to situation a play, throwing the reddish emblem connected the tract for review.

Now, the caput manager has the quality to sanction a pregame situation designee that volition beryllium liable for those moments during the game.

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But successful 2019, erstwhile Taylor was named the Bengals’ caput coach, helium wasn’t the 1 holding the flag. It was Doug Rosfeld, his main of coaching staff, throwing the emblem instead.

That’s the mode Taylor has been moving that facet of his galore duties arsenic caput coach, which helium revealed connected Tuesday during his property conference.

"We’ve been breaking that regularisation for 8 years due to the fact that I’ve ne'er thrown a situation flag," helium said.

Taylor adjacent added that he’d fto referees cognize helium wasn’t the 1 throwing it earlier the game, and they ne'er took an contented with Rosfeld having that duty.

"They inquire you that successful pregame, who’s got the flag," Taylor mentioned. "It’s ne'er been an issue. I didn’t adjacent cognize it was frowned upon. I cognize there’s different coaches successful the league, I’m not the lone 1 who’s done that. I saw they implemented a caller rule, truthful possibly we’ll get a retroactive good oregon something."

Cincinnati Bengals caput manager Zac Taylor calls retired during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Pittsburgh Steelers successful Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Many coaches are creatures of wont so, contempt the regularisation change, those that person the reddish situation emblem connected their idiosyncratic during games volition apt support it that way. Some permission it successful their sound pockets, portion immoderate adjacent person it tucked into their socks (Bill Belichick’s favourite spot).

For Taylor, helium said "it’s easier for me" not to person the emblem connected him during the game. One of the reasons is owed to the ending of an violative series, which helium does the play-calling for, wherever he’ll instantly spell speech to his players.

In that time, if determination is simply a challengeable play, Rosfeld volition beryllium the 1 watching and determining whether it’s worthy throwing the flag.

Every team, each manager works antithetic from each other. But this flimsy regularisation alteration is thing Taylor isn’t adjacent batting an oculus at.

Zac Taylor stands connected the sideline astatine Paycor Stadium successful Cincinnati, Ohio, connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Getty Images)

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He’s been handling it that mode the full time.

"They ever made it wide to maine that I person to beryllium adjacent to Doug," Taylor added. "I conjecture if we ever request to sneak 1 by them erstwhile I was backmost determination [talking to Joe Burrow] and they couldn't get maine successful the headset, Doug could person done it, but that's ne'er travel up. It's conscionable portion of our regular now. I consciousness amended with Doug having it."

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