Recent NFL firing puts Bengals' Brian Callahan in even better light

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated 1/16/24

It was almost five years ago when then Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden broke the news that Brian Callahan leaving his staff to become the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Callahan had never been an OC before. The Raiders were the third franchise he had worked for as a quarterbacks coach in a four-year span, and Zac Taylor made him one of his more important assistants in Cincinnati.

Through drastic peaks and valleys, Callahan has now outlasted everyone who's held that title around the league since coming to the Queen City.

Brian Callahan is the NFL's longest tenured OC

With the New Orleans Saints firing Pete Carmichael after a 15-year run on the job, Callahan's five years with the Bengals now makes him the longest tenured offensive coordinator in the NFL.

With the dismissal of Pete Carmichael in New Orleans, the longest tenured OC in the NFL is now the Bengals’ Brian Callahan.

He’s had that job for just 5 seasons.

So much turnover at the OC spot around the league.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 16, 2024

The very reason why Callahan holds this title now is the same reason why he could be leaving the Bengals very soon. Good OCs typically end up getting head coaching jobs within a few years. Look no further than Jay Gruden and Hue Jackson, two former offensive play-callers in Cincinnati whom each took over different franchises after three years or fewer on the job.

Bad OCs, on the other hand, typically don't make it to five years with their original team. Callahan sticking around for half a decade is more to do with him missing out on other jobs rather than having nowhere else to go.

Callahan is a crucial reason why Joe Burrow has developed properly, and why his backup, Jake Browning, was able to come off the bench and put up impressive numbers this past season. Other teams surely have noticed by now what Callahan's influence has done for the Bengals.

Cincinnati would like nothing more than to have Callahan around for year six, but at least four teams are interested in him. The longest tenured OC might become someone else here shortly.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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