Bengals are the only team in the NFL that can make an important claim that could lead to success in 2023
There's one thing that the Cincinnati Bengals can claim in 2023 that no other NFL team can claim. Cincinnati will enter the 2023 season as the only franchise in the NFL that's had the same head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator in place for five seasons. The Kansas City Chiefs would've been in that […]
There's one thing that the Cincinnati Bengals can claim in 2023 that no other NFL team can claim.
Cincinnati will enter the 2023 season as the only franchise in the NFL that's had the same head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator in place for five seasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs would've been in that category, but offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy left KC on Friday to become the Washington Commanders' new offensive coordinator.
(The Chiefs will likely promote quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, to offensive coordinator in the wake of Bieniemy's departure.)
At one point this offseason it looked like the Bengals might lose offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, and quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher.
But instead, they managed to keep all three. Callahan and Anarumo were finalists for the Colts and Cardinals head coaching jobs, respectively. Pitcher had conversations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about their offensive coordinator job. Ultimately, all three will return to Cincinnati in 2023.
The Bengals could still lose wide receivers coach Troy Walters. The Cardinals are interested in hiring him as their offensive coordinator under new head coach Jonathan Gannon. If Walters leaves Cincy, the Bengals will likely promote assistant wide receivers coach Brad Kragthorpe to wide receivers coach. Kragthorpe has been with the franchise since 2019.
Even if Walters leaves, the Bengals will have a level of continuity that no one else in the NFL has. And that should be a big help when it comes to Cincinnati's goal of reaching the Super Bowl in 2023.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
