Bengals have their former archenemy to thank for offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher sticking around for another day
Cincinnati gets to keep Dan Pitcher, for now, thanks to none other than Baker Mayfield.
The Cincinnati Bengals would’ve had to make a significant coaching change had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to the same role. Pitcher interviewed late in the Bucs’ search for a new OC thanks to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor granting him permission to seek lateral moves with play-calling responsibilities.
Pitcher was ultimately passed on in favor of former Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson, who will stay in the NFC South as Tampa Bay’s next offensive play-caller. Cincinnati gets to keep its OC (for now), and Brian Callahan, who was scheduled to interview with the Bucs on Thursday, is also still available in case Pitcher does end up leaving elsewhere.
This is a win for the Bengals, even just looking at it in the short-term, and they have a former foe to thank.
Baker Mayfield does the Bengals a solid
The decision to hire Robinson was pushed for by Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Mayfield has seen two of his play-callers, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, leave for HC jobs since 2024, and his most recent OC, Josh Grizzard, was fired at the beginning of the month. Mayfield was a noteworthy reason why Robinson is now Bucs’ fourth OC in as many years.
Mayfield started his NFL career as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, selected by the Cleveland Browns as their next franchise QB. His stint in Cleveland only last four years, but he was 6-1 against Cincinnati during his AFC North run. Even in the middle of the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl in 2021, Mayfield’s Browns put a 41-16 beating on the Bengals that season.
Cincinnati hasn’t faced Mayfield since 2022 when he was a backup for the Carolina Panthers. The Bengals won that game, 42-21, despite Mayfield coming off the bench and throwing two touchdowns on just 20 attempts. He was released by the Panthers later that season and briefly joined the Los Angeles Rams before becoming a free agent in 2023. He was signed by Tampa Bay that offseason, and has stayed there ever since.
The Bengals will play against Mayfield’s Bucs with Robinson calling his plays sometime during the 2026 season. The rotation determining the NFL schedule every year has the AFC North and NFC South facing each other this year, with Cincy hosting its matchup against Tampa Bay.
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