One NFL team just threw a wrench in the Buccaneers' coaching search plans
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in the hunt for its next offensive coordinator and unfortunately, one of the selected candidates is officially off the table. The Buccaneers virtually interviewed Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher on Friday. That was the first interview between the two parties, but it -along with inquiries from the Baltimore Ravens- […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in the hunt for its next offensive coordinator and unfortunately, one of the selected candidates is officially off the table.
The Buccaneers virtually interviewed Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher on Friday. That was the first interview between the two parties, but it -along with inquiries from the Baltimore Ravens- was all the Bengals needed to see before they decided to give Pitcher a contract extension.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Pitcher received a "lucrative contract extension" from the Bengals. While the official details are currently unknown, Rapoport's phrasing creates the idea that it is a one-year deal that keeps Pitcher around through the 2023 season:
"Sources say Dan Pitcher, the Bengals quarterbacks coach since 2020, received a lucrative contract extension within the past week after several teams wanted to speak with him about offensive coordinator openings. Cincinnati was proactive, attempting to lock Pitcher in for another season rather than have him leave for a coordinator opening."
Pitcher has been with the Bengals since 2016 and has been the QBs coach since 2020, when superstar quarterback Joe Burrow was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick. The cohesiveness/consistency between Pitcher and Burrow are big factors in the third-year quarterback's success over the years.
"I think that's pretty unique to this place," said Burrow. "I think that's what makes everyone love being here. There's no egos from me to our coaching staff to Zac, to Brian, to Pitch, to our receivers. It's a collaborative effort that everyone puts in so everyone can take ownership."
Pitcher represents a fresh offensive mind that has plenty of experience in one of the NFL's more prolific offenses. Sure, the Bengals have a ton of star power on that side of the ball, but as we've seen in the past, great talent typically can't overcome bad coaching.
He also represents an outside-of-the-organization hire, which is something the Buccaneers need. The organization needs to move away from the Bruce Arians offense, as it became stale without the proper mind(s) running the show in 2022.
No one knows for sure if a Buccaneers-Pitcher relationship would've worked, but now, we won't get the chance of seeing what would happen.
Well, for 2023, at least.
You can check out Rapoport's full report, here.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
