Congratulations if you had two AFC North head coaching vacancies on your bingo card for early 2026, and didn't have one of them being the Cincinnati Bengals. What were the odds of that happening?
Actually quite favorable. The Bengals are as status-quo simpatico as it gets with their key leaders like head coach Zac Taylor and grandfathered-in lead exec Duke Tobin. They're staying put for 2026 and probably beyond.
Could Taylor lose the most vital assistant on his offensive staff, though? Laugh out loud. I hope not.
Bengals OC Dan Pitcher requested to interview for Browns head coaching vacancy
News broke on Wednesday that none other than the Cleveland Browns are requesting to interview Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to be their new head coach.
In addition to interviewing OC Tommy Rees, the Browns are planning to interview DC Jim Schwartz on Thursday and have requested to interview Bengals OC Dan Pitcher, source confirms.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) January 7, 2026
Before I say this next bit, all due respect to Mr. Pitcher, who I like and want to stay in Cincinnati.
The chances that someone with zero NFL play-calling experience is going to be an upgrade over two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski are slim to none.
Requesting to interview Pitcher reads to me like the Browns are trying to glean insight into how to stop Cincinnati's offense. Not that Cleveland needs a ton of help on defense to stop anyone. That Myles Garrett-led unit is excellent, but is in need of more than a few pieces on offense to be a legitimate threat to the rest of the division or AFC for that matter.
Read More: Joe Burrow says quiet part out loud about aggressive Bengals offseason ahead
I just feel like this interview request for Pitcher is such a petty move to soft-threaten the prospect of poaching a rival's top assistant. It's unimaginative, desperate, and so Brownsian in nature that all we can do as Bengals fans is laugh.
Dan Pitcher is too smart of a guy to not see right through this for what it is. He's not some hot name on the coaching carousel, at least in this cycle. Wait until Joe Burrow returns for a fully healthy 2026, leads the Bengals back to the playoffs, then maybe we can talk about Coach Pitch as a viable head coach candidate.
This cuts against some intel from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, who suggests Pitcher is an ascending name...but does acknowledge the Bengals aren't a "hot" team right now.
"Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is an under-the-radar coaching option this cycle. He could have some traction in Cleveland, for example. Cincinnati's offense remained respectable through a tough year. Some teams could try to lure him as a playcaller somewhere (Zac Taylor still calls plays in Cincinnati), but Pitcher should have a chance at a head job. He's believed to have the right demeanor and leadership qualities for such a position, but the Bengals aren't exactly a hot team."
One of the few solaces Who Dey Nation can take to heart and cling to as another massive offseason looms is, "Hey, at least we're not the Browns!"
Browns are gonna Brown and Brown all over themselves. I'll chuckle when Pitcher says, "Thanks but no thanks" to this interview request. I'm just kidding. He'll probably take it just for the reps and experience, but he'd have to be a moron to dive headfirst into fixing that toxic franchise.