Head coach Marvin Lewis revealed earlier this month he’d return to the Bengals’ sideline in 2017 “if asked,” though ex-NFL tight end and current ESPN Radio 980 host Chris Cooley reported Sunday that the 58-year-old was going to retire. However, Lewis isn’t going to walk away, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. Thus, unless Cincinnati unexpectedly fires Lewis, he’ll remain the league’s second-longest-tenured head coach (behind New England’s Bill Belichick). The Bengals have gone just 5-9-1 this year under Lewis, who previously helped them to five straight playoff berths. Cincy hasn’t won a postseason game in any of Lewis’ 14 years at the helm, though, having posted an ugly 0-7 mark.
More on Cincinnati and one of its AFC North rivals:
- While it’s unclear when exactly Ravens head coach John Harbaugh‘s contract expires, it runs through at least the 2018 campaign, a team source told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com on Tuesday. At 8-7, the Harbaugh-led Ravens will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, but his nine-year tenure has nonetheless been a resounding success. Overall, Baltimore has gone 85-58 in the regular season under Harbaugh, made six playoff trips and won a Super Bowl.
- Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth, an impending free agent, said last week that he’d be open to playing guard going forward, but the 35-year-old walked back those comments to a degree on Tuesday. “My first choice is to play left tackle in 2017 somewhere,” Whitworth told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Hopefully here. My No. 1 choice is here.” Whitworth shifted to left guard last Saturday in the Bengals’ 12-10 loss to Houston, thereby enabling second-year man Cedric Ogbuehi to protect Andy Dalton‘s blind side. But Whitworth regards his own pass-blocking talent as “rare” for a left tackle and aims to man that spot in 2017, which will be his 12th season.
- The Ravens should fire Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun opines. The Ravens installed Mornhinweg as the interim coordinator to replace Marc Trestman in the middle of this season, but the results haven’t been much different. Preston says the Ravens need someone who is more than an X’s-and-O’s guy and has a dominant personality. In his view, quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t have that type of personality and that leaves the offense without a clear leader.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Who else could coach those thugs in cincy?
So a trashy comment from likely equally trashy person
I’d love to see Lewis gone.. He coached them up to a very good team but his uninspirering attitude won’t get them to the next level…Whitworth is a great pass protector. Maybe a 2 year extension for 6 mil a year yes 35 so its chancey