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Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

Bengals Block Chargers Interview Request, Add Pass-Game Coordinator

By | at February 8, 2024 2:34 pm

Brian Callahan‘s departure to become the Titans’ head coach marked the first major shakeup among Zac Taylor‘s top offensive assistants during his five-year tenure. The Bengals will bring in an outside hire to help compensate for Callahan’s Nashville exit.

Cincinnati is hiring former Minnesota assistant Justin Rascati as its pass-game coordinator, the team announced Thursday. Rascati previously worked as the Vikings’ assistant offensive line coach. He will join new OC Dan Pitcher among Taylor’s top assistants.

While this is a common position across the NFL, the Bengals did not utilize it previously. Rascati will also work with new Bengals quarterbacks coach Brad Kragthorpe, whom the team promoted from assistant QBs coach to fill the void Pitcher left when he moved up the ladder. Like Pitcher, Kragthorpe has been with the Bengals throughout Taylor’s tenure. These two figure to be natural candidates to become Cincy’s OC in the event Pitcher — a popular OC candidate over the past two years — becomes part of the 2025 HC carousel.

The Bengals also made an effort to retain assistant Jordan Kovacs on defense. The Chargers wanted to interview Kovacs, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes the Bengals blocked that request. Kovacs is a Michigan alum who served as an assistant under Jim Harbaugh from 2017-18. Kovacs has been with the Bengals since Taylor’s 2019 arrival, moving to assistant linebackers coach in 2022. The Bengals are promoting him, assigning him as their secondary coach/safeties for 2024.

Kovacs’ promotion also came about because previous Bengals secondary coach, Robert Livingston, left to take a job on Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff. Livingston met with Sanders about the position Wednesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Buffaloes are finalizing a defensive coordinator agreement with Livingston, according to the Associated Press.

Although Livingston was not on the coordinator level in the NFL, his departure will be an adjustment for the Bengals. He spent the past 12 seasons with the team, arriving as a scout during Marvin Lewis‘ tenure. Taylor retained Livingston upon arriving, keeping him in place as the team’s secondary coach — a position he took over in 2018. With Lou Anarumo failing to land a head coaching job in recent years, Livingston did not have a path to move up in Cincinnati. He will take an opportunity to reach the coordinator tier with Colorado, which received considerable attention last year thanks to Sanders’ arrival as HC.

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RB Rex Burkhead Announces Retirement

By | at February 5, 2024 7:56 pm

Despite being a sixth-round pick, Rex Burkhead managed to play 10 NFL seasons. The veteran running back did not play during the 2023 campaign and will not attempt to come back.

The former Bengals, Patriots and Texans back announced his retirement Monday. This will wrap a productive career as a supplementary back, with Burkhead’s most notable work coming in New England. Burkhead, 33, did venture to Las Vegas for a Raiders workout while Josh Jacobs was away on the franchise tag last summer, but no reunion between he and Josh McDaniels came to pass.

The Patriots initially signed Burkhead during the 2017 offseason, adding him while letting LeGarrette Blount walk in free agency. Burkhead and James White represented constants in the Pats’ backfield over the ensuing four years, with the likes of Dion Lewis, Sony Michel, Damien Harris and Cordarrelle Patterson mixing in at various points. The Patriots mostly used Burkhead as a backup running back and an auxiliary pass catcher. He managed eight touchdowns in 2017 (three receiving) but made his most memorable contributions during the ’18 playoffs. The Patriots saved an IR-return slot — back when NFL rules only allowed teams to bring two players off IR in a season — for Burkhead, who had suffered an early-season concussion.

Although the Chiefs’ rise was imminent, the Patriots delayed that ascent when they ousted the No. 1-seeded team in the 2018 AFC championship game. The Pats won an overtime thriller in Kansas City. Finishing with 64 scrimmage yards that night, Burkhead scored in the final minute of regulation to give the Pats a lead and then secured the visitors a walk-off win after a 2-yard TD to punctuate the first drive of overtime. Burkhead collected a Super Bowl ring soon after.

Burkhead was part of a crowded Bengals backfield earlier in the 2010s, seeing Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill garner most of the work. The Nebraska alum only surpassed 100 scrimmage yards in one of his four Cincinnati seasons — his 2016 platform year — but the Patriots gave Burkhead three contracts — the most notable a three-year, $9.75MM accord in 2018.

Closing out his career with the Texans, Burkhead signed two more deals with the rebuilding team — one run by ex-Patriots exec Nick Caserio. Burkhead delivered a 149-yard showing to help the Texans upset the Chargers in Week 16 of that season; that result ended up denying the Bolts a playoff berth. At 31, Burkhead finished the 2021 season with a career-high 427 rushing yards. Over the course of his career, Burkhead earned just more than $18MM.

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Bengals Want To Re-Sign Tee Higgins, Uncertain To Retain Jonah Williams

By | at February 1, 2024 4:13 pm

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin quickly took Tee Higgins out of trade rumors in his contract year, indicating the team’s No. 2 wide receiver would not be available. While Higgins did not take a step forward in 2023, he still stands to be one of the top pass catchers available — should the Ja’Marr Chase sidekick reach free agency.

Tobin is a bit less emphatic about Higgins’ future with the team this year. The former second-round pick played out his rookie deal and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March. If the Bengals do not have Higgins franchise-tagged by March 5 or re-signed by March 11, the Clemson product will be free to speak with other teams.

Seeing as Chase will understandably be the receiver priority and the team having made Joe Burrow the NFL’s highest-paid player, the prospect of losing Higgins has long been on the horizon. The Bengals do, however, want to re-sign the four-year starter. A January report also indicated the team is prepared to tag the 6-foot-4 pass catcher.

“We’ll see what happens this year,” Tobin said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway. “I want Tee Higgins back. Everyone on our team would like to have Tee Higgins back. Again, there’s one pie and how big of a slice that takes and what else we can’t do because of it, we’ll have to determine and we’ll see.”

Higgins, who finished an injury-plagued season with career-low marks in receptions (42) and yards (656), would cost approximately $21.7MM to retain on the tag. The Bengals cuffed A.J. Green back in 2020. That situation, when Burrow was on a rookie deal, obviously differs from present circumstances. Burrow is now the NFL’s salary kingpin, and Chase is on track to one day become the league’s highest-paid receiver.

Thanks to the fifth-year option, Chase can be kept on his rookie contract through the 2025 season. No team in the fifth-year option era has extended a first-round receiver with two years of control remaining on a rookie deal; as was the case with Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, this points Cincinnati toward Chase extension talks in his fifth year (2025) rather than this offseason.

Still, a future with Chase on a deal that eclipses $30MM per year will impact the Bengals’ decision on Higgins. The sides engaged in extension talks before the season, but Higgins did not find the team’s offer appealing. The Bengals still rebuffed trade interest before the deadline. Burrow’s contract also features a midlevel cap number in 2024 ($29.7MM) before spiking past $45MM in 2025. Burrow’s contract structure and the prospect of Chase being kept on a rookie rate next season does keep the door open for a Higgins rental year.

Tobin seems less optimistic Jonah Williams can be retained. The Bengals blindsided Williams by signing Orlando Brown Jr. to a $16MM-per-year deal, a move that kicked the three-year left tackle to the right side. Williams requested a trade but returned to the fold during the summer. It certainly looks like the four-year O-line starter will be on the move soon.

“I don’t know what the future holds. We’ll see,” Tobin said, via Conway. “We’ve got this pie, whether there’s a big enough piece of pie for him or he’s going to get a bigger piece of pie somewhere else, we’ll see. It’s hard to predict right now exactly what other teams are going to do and their interest level in any of our free agents. We’re proud of Jonah for the way he played.”

Williams, 26, returned from his postseason knee injury to start all 17 Bengals games this past season. Pro Football Focus graded him 59th among tackles, and it will be interesting to see if Williams makes it clear ahead of free agency he wants to return to left tackle for his next team. Regardless of position, the 2019 first-round pick would be one of the top O-linemen available if he hits the market.

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2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at February 1, 2024 9:55 am

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

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Latest On Bengals, WR Tee Higgins

By | at January 28, 2024 8:57 pm

The 2024 free agent receiver class has a number of intriguing names, including Tee Higgins. The Bengals should not be expected to let him reach the open market, but his future is nevertheless currently in the air.

Higgins’ rookie contract will expire in March, and a long-term deal would come at a signficant cost given his age and production in Cincinnati. The Bengals are also in danger of losing veteran Tyler Boyd in free agency, and Ja’Marr Chase is now eligible for a second contract. The latter has lived up to expectations as one of the league’s top wideouts in his first three years, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes it is expected around the league that Chase will be a higher priority than Higgins from a financial perspective.

Chase is still under contract for 2024, and the Bengals will no doubt pick up his fifth-year option for the following season. Still, carrying both Chase and Higgins on lucrative second contracts (with quarterback Joe Burrow attached to his $55MM-per-year deal) for years to come would be a challenge. For that reason, many have pointed to Higgins as a franchise tag candidate; applying the one-year tender could open up a trade possibility allowing the Bengals to recoup at least some value for him.

At this time, however, a tag-and-trade does not appear likely. The Bengals received trade interest in the 2023 offseason and at the trade deadline, but they made it clear they were not looking to move Higgins. The 25-year-old has publicly stated an intention of remaining in Cincinnati, but outside interest remains strong. Fowler adds that multiple teams are prepared to pay Higgins as a No. 1 receiver.

The top of the WR market saw a substantial jump in value during the 2022 offseason, when Tyreek Hill became the position’s first member to reach $30MM in annual compensation. In all, 13 receivers are attached to deals averaging at least $20MM per season, and Higgins could likely do the same if he were to wind up on a team willing to pry him away from the Bengals. The Clemson product has averaged roughly 64 catches, 920 yards and six touchdowns per campaign in his career, figures brought down by his totals in an injury-marred 2023 campaign.

The stance the Bengals take with respect to their offseason priorities and where Higgins fits into them will be a key storyline to follow in the build-up to the franchise tag deadline (March 7) and the start of the new league year one week later. An outside market for his services still exists, but a mutual desire to keep him in Cincinnati could nevertheless produce a multi-year agreement. If talks on that front do not gain traction soon, though, questions about Higgins’ future for 2024 and beyond will remain.

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Titans Hire Brian Callahan As Head Coach

By | at January 25, 2024 1:11 pm

JANUARY 25: The Titans are giving the five-year Bengals offensive coordinator a five-year deal to lead their staff, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Callahan’s contract length matches what the team handed Vrabel back in 2018.

JANUARY 22: Brian Callahan had a second interview with the Titans today, and the organization isn’t letting him leave Tennessee without a deal. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans plan to hire Callahan as their new head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the two sides are working to finalize a deal.

In recent days, there’s been growing momentum towards Callahan earning his first head coaching gig. Besides his second interview with the Titans today, the coach was also expected to meet a second time with the Panthers and Falcons. Per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner, the Titans viewed Callahan as a top target, and they were clearly determined to make sure he didn’t land elsewhere.

Callahan has been on the head coaching radar for a while after guiding a talented offense in Cincinnati. While his first two years at the helm didn’t necessarily go as planned, the Bengals finished top-seven in points scored in both 2021 and 2022. The offense took a step back in 2023, although that was partly attributed to Joe Burrow‘s injury, and suitors clearly recognized that context as they pursued him for HC jobs.

Callahan had a long stint on the Broncos offensive coaching staff before serving as the Lions QBs coach (2016-2017) and Raiders QBs coach (2018). During his time in the NFL, he’s worked with the likes of Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, and Burrow. This has led many to assume that Callahan would be an ideal candidate to guide an offense that’s expected to be led by 2023 second-round pick Will Levis.

The Titans had one of the more surprising head coaching vacancies of this hiring cycle, as Mike Vrabel‘s departure wasn’t necessarily expected. The organization cast a wide net in their search for a replacement, with Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn among those to earn second interviews.

Ultimately, Callahan was the choice. With the head coach soon to be under contract, the Titans will look to fill out the rest of their coaching staff. One name that will surely be connected to Tennessee is Callahan’s father, Bill Callahan. The veteran coach has spent the past four years as the Browns OL coach, and the senior Callahan was previously the head coach for the Raiders.

On the other side, Bengals coach Zac Taylor will now have to hire a coordinator for the first time since he took the Cincy gig in 2019. Dehner notes that Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher has been groomed for the job and will likely be a leading candidate to replace Callahan.

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Bengals Promote Dan Pitcher To OC

By | at January 24, 2024 3:58 pm

Dan Pitcher appeared on multiple teams’ OC interview lists, but the Bengals have long viewed him as their coordinator-in-waiting. With Brian Callahan landing the Titans’ HC job, the Bengals will execute that succession plan.

Cincinnati will indeed elevate Pitcher to become its next OC, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Pitcher has been with the team longer than Callahan, and the Marvin Lewis-era addition will now become Zac Taylor‘s right-hand man on offense. The move is now official.

This hire is not as important as some of the other OC changes we will see this offseason. Taylor remains the Bengals’ play-caller, a role he has held since arriving in 2019. But this obviously elevates Pitcher’s stature and gives Taylor a new lead assistant on this side of the ball. Pitcher, 37, has been with the Bengals since 2016 and has been in place as QBs coach since 2020, a rather important year for this franchise.

After Pitcher worked as the Bengals’ assistant QBs coach in Andy Dalton‘s final Ohio season, Taylor elevated him to QBs coach during the offseason that featured the Joe Burrow investment. The Taylor-Callahan-Pitcher trio has helped Burrow become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, and the former Heisman recipient is exiting this season as the league’s highest-paid player. While Burrow suffered an injury that altered the Bengals’ season, the Bengals’ Wednesday decision will ensure continuity.

Burrow does not have the career achievements of Ken Anderson or Boomer Esiason yet, but his trajectory points toward becoming the best QB in Bengals history. Pitcher being Burrow’s position coach throughout his career has boosted his stock within the organization and in other NFL facilities. Jake Browning‘s run of competent play — after spending his first four years without taking a regular-season snap — also worked in Pitcher’s favor. Browning finished his season having completed an NFL-best 70.4% of his passes, albeit on 243 attempts. Recently promoted from the third-string level, Browning finished with 8.0 yards per attempt this season as well.

The Buccaneers interviewed Pitcher for their OC post last year, and while they hired Dave Canales, Pitcher had bowed out of the interview process early after signing a Bengals extension. That likely came with an understanding he would be Callahan’s replacement. The Saints and Patriots had interviewed Pitcher this year. A Raiders meeting loomed, with the Saints having scheduled a second interview. The outside suitors will need to adjust their lists accordingly.

Charting Pitcher’s progress from the Lewis-Dalton years to now is interesting, given where the Bengals have gone since Burrow began his ascent. This also moves Pitcher into position to be considered for head coaching jobs come 2025. For now, he will attempt to help the Bengals recapture the form that had them as the Chiefs’ top AFC challenger prior to the Burrow setback.

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Bengals To Interview Andy Dickerson For OC Job

By | at January 23, 2024 6:56 pm

The Bengals are starting to look outside the organization to replace Brian Callahan. According to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bengals interviewed Seahawks offensive line coach Andy Dickerson for their offensive coordinator job.

[RELATED: Titans To Hire Brian Callahan As Head Coach]

Dickerson has been coaching in the NFL for more than 20 years, including a nine-year stint as the Rams assistant OL coach. He’s spent the past three seasons in Seattle, serving as the team’s offensive run game coordinator before pivoting to OL coach in 2022. During his first season leading the offensive line, he guided rookies Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas to productive seasons in front of a rejuvenated Geno Smith.

With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, the Seahawks allowed his staffers to look elsewhere for jobs. Dickerson has started to emerge as a popular candidate on the OC carousel; the coach is set to interview with the Browns about their open gig.

The Titans are expected to hire Callahan as their new head coach, forcing Bengals HC Zac Taylor to hire a coordinator for the first time since he joined the organization in 2019. Quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher was viewed as a clear successor at offensive coordinator, but he’s set to interview for that same role elsewhere.

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Coordinator Notes: Pitcher, Robinson, Williams, Kelly

By | at January 22, 2024 8:24 pm

Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher appears to be a clear successor to offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who is set to become the Titans head coach. However, that inside shot at the Cincy gig won’t stop Pitcher from taking coordinator interviews elsewhere.

[RELATED: 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Pitcher is set to meet with the Patriots virtually tomorrow before meeting in-person with the Raiders tomorrow night. Pitcher is then expected to meet with the Saints on Thursday. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Pitcher actually already met virtually with the Saints and is scheduled for an in-person second interview on Thursday.

The Raiders connection is also notable. As Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network points out, Marvin Lewis is expected to be on the Raiders coaching staff, and it was Lewis who gave Pitcher his first NFL job.

Considering the success of Joe Burrow, it’s not a surprise that Pitcher is in line for a promotion. The SUNY Cortland product has spent the past four seasons as the Bengals quarterbacks coach, and he’s been with the organization since 2016.

For what it’s worth, Pitcher signed an extension with the Bengals last offseason. However, that deal surely won’t stop the coach from pursuing a promotion elsewhere, although there’s a chance that opportunity comes in Cincinnati.

More coordinator notes from around the NFL…

  • Rams passing-game coordinator Zac Robinson has generated more offensive coordinator interviews. According to Breer, both the Steelers and Raiders have requested interviews with Robinson regarding their OC vacancies. Robinson has been connected to the majority of the OC openings in the NFL. He’s set to interview with the Patriots and Saints, and he was a candidate for the Bears job before they hired Shane Waldron. Robinson has spent his entire coaching career in Los Angeles, working his way up from assistant quarterbacks coach to passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
  • Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams will interview for the Bears defensive coordinator job, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Following stints as the Raiders and Dolphins defensive line coach, Williams took the same job with the Bears in 2018. He’s spent the past six years in that role, and he earned a promotion to assistant head coach this past season. Williams’ future in Tennessee is unclear considering the team’s decision to fire Mike Vrabel following the season. Williams joins a growing list of Bears defensive coordinator candidates, a grouping that includes fellow Titans coach Chris Harris.
  • A notable name could emerge as an offensive coordinator candidate. Sources told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that Chip Kelly has been mentioned as an offensive coordinator possibility by a handful of head coaching candidates. As a result, several organizations have already started doing their due diligence on the former Eagles and 49ers head coach. Kelly has been the head coach at UCLA since 2018, and he recently signed an extension that will keep him with the school through at least the 2027 season.
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Falcons, Panthers Planning Second Brian Callahan HC Interviews

By | at January 21, 2024 11:06 am

With six teams still needing to fill their head coaching vacancies, the Bengals’ chances of running back its Zac Taylor–Brian Callahan duo for a sixth year are in doubt. Callahan will have a chance to meet with at least three teams for a second time.

Already scheduled to interview a second time with the Titans, the five-year Bengals OC has received requests for in-person interviews in Atlanta and Charlotte. Both the Falcons and Panthers plan to bring in Callahan for a second meeting this week, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Callahan, 39, interviewed with four teams already. Of those, only the Chargers have not been linked to bringing him in for an in-person summit. Beyond that, Callahan appears to have done well in his Zoom meetings recently. Teams can begin meeting with HC candidates on other staffs in-person following the divisional round, which will accelerate this year’s coaching carousel.

Although the Falcons have already interviewed Bill Belichick twice — to the point the legendary HC may be determining if he wants to land in Atlanta — the team is believed to still be planning a thorough search. Jim Harbaugh is meeting with the Falcons for a second time this week, while Mike Vrabel‘s first interview with the team is also on tap.

Callahan would certainly command a lower salary than these candidates, but he would also not check the experience box the NFC South club is believed to be seeking this time around. Arthur Blank has hired first-time HCs throughout his ownership tenure, but after the latest (Arthur Smith) failed to deliver a turnaround, the team has shifted course during this cycle. Belichick is still believed to be the team’s top candidate, but this process is expected to last several more days while the parties deliberate.

Not as much is known about the Panthers’ search, but the team’s 2023 showing and David Tepper‘s actions over the past year point to this not being the most coveted of jobs. Carolina has long been connected to Ben Johnson, with the Lions’ OC being viewed as the team’s top target. Johnson bowed out of the race to become Carolina’s HC last year, but the North Carolina native again met with the team Friday. Callahan would seem a second choice behind Johnson for the Panthers, who can rely on Tepper’s deep pockets to finalize its coaching search. The Panthers have been targeting another offense-oriented HC, with that intel coming out shortly after Frank Reich‘s ouster.

Considering the Bengals’ rise from a 2-14 season in 2019 to back-to-back AFC championship games, coupled with offensive coaches having the edge at the moment, it is a bit surprising Callahan has not generated more interest. That said, Taylor has been the Bengals’ play-caller throughout his Cincinnati stay. With three second interviews coming, Callahan does look to have a real chance of landing a top job soon.

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