Bengals get an offseason win over NFC playoff team and it says a lot about Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will continue working with Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters in 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters is staying on staff for another year.
CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports Walters declined an interview request for the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator vacancy, and Cincinnati will get to keep its WR coach for at least another season.
Walters has been with the Bengals since 2020, hired initially as the assistant wide receivers coach. He was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2021, the year Ja’Marr Chase was drafted and joined forces with Tee Higgins. 2026 will be his sixth season as their position coach.
That level of continuity is rare, but Walters chose what he knows over a larger opportunity. That’s a big win for the Bengals in this part of the offseason, and it says a lot about why he’s sticking around.
Troy Walters declining a possible promotion is a massive testament to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
Offensive coordinators are the safest bets to become head coaches compared to any other non-HC gigs in the NFL. They are also usually former quarterback coaches, much like Bengals OC Dan Pitcher, who appears to be returning for his third year on the job.
Walters, now 49 years old, had a chance to become the next OC under Bears HC Ben Johnson. He could’ve replaced Declan Doyle, who left to be a play-calling OC for the Baltimore Ravens under their new HC, Jesse Minter. He could’ve been directly linked with the potential growth of QB Caleb Williams in his second season playing in Johnson’s offense.
Walters didn’t have to be a QB coach to get there. Coaching up Chase and Higgins was enough of a resume highlight. It stands to reason he’s staying because of them as well.
Instead of advancing his career with the potential to call his own plays in the future, Walters wants to continue working with two Pro Bowl wideouts who’ve each grown noticeably under his tutelage. The development of Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley in recent years can also be attributed to Walters’ techniques and experience. He was once an NFL receiver for eight years, and played alongside all-time greats such as Cris Carter, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Reggie Wayne.
It’s a massive win for HC Zac Taylor as one of his longest tenured assistants is sticking around to continue coaching up the strongest position group on the roster. Cincinnati needs to rely on its strengths remaining strengths heading into 2026 as the front office hopes to better the defensive side of the ball in free agency next month.
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