Bengals To Hire Brian Callahan As OC

The Bengals are set to hire Raiders quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan as their new offensive coordinator, according to Raiders head coach Jon Gruden (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). New Bengals HC Zac Taylor played for Brian’s dad Bill Callahan at Nebraska, giving the two men a unique connection. 

The younger Callahan was a hot name in NFL coaching circles last year, as he interviewed for the Titans’ offensive coordinator vacancy and the Jets’ quarterbacks coach position. He was also linked to a job with the Giants, but never officially met with the club. Despite that level of interest, the Lions allowed Callahan to seek employment elsewhere in 2018, leading him to the Raiders’ QB job. Now, he’s taking a big step up as he joins Taylor in Cincinnati.

Taylor is expected to call the Bengals’ plays, but Callahan should still have an active role in the offense. And, as evidenced by Taylor and others in the Sean McVay coaching tree, that type of OC job can still be a launching pad to something bigger and better.

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