Jacob Burney is calling it a career. The longtime NFL coach coach told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero that he’s decided to retire (Twitter link). The 60-year-old’s contract with the Bengals officially expired yesterday.
Burney actually started coaching way back in 1983, and he arrived to the NFL in 1994 as the Browns’ defensive line coach. While he’s naturally switched teams, the Chattanooga product continued in that coaching role for more than 20 years. Besides Cleveland, he’s had stints with the Ravens, Panthers, Broncos, Redskins and Bengals.
He spent the past three seasons in Cincinnati, where he’s helped former fourth-rounder Andrew Billings evolve into a starter. While the Bengals’ defensive line looked solid during Burney’s first two years at the helm, they took a step back in 2018. The unit allowed the fourth-most first downs in the NFL, and they were bottom-five in sacks and rushing yards allowed.
The Bengals could look to promote from within to replace Burney, and assistant Matt Raich could be an option (although this is merely my speculation). On the flip side, new head coach Zac Taylor could decide to add his own coaches.