The Cincinnati Bengals haven't made the playoffs since 2022, but wide receivers coach Troy Walters won't jump ship. After all, it's easy to stay in town when the team has two of the best wide receivers in football.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson requested to interview Walters for the offensive coordinator opening on his staff, but he chose to stay in Cincinnati, per Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson.

"I had a good talk with Ben. Very grateful for the opportunity. And I have tremendous respect for him, what he's done, what he's doing there," he said. "They have great coaches on the staff, but it was really what I believe is going to take place here in Cincinnati. I'm excited about what we're going to do this year, and really want to finish it off the right way here in Cincinnati and try to go win a Super Bowl here."

"Guys would go through the interview process and get that experience," he continued. "But we talked, and I told him I didn't want to waste his time with my heart in Cincinnati."

Walters joined Cincinnati as an assistant wide receivers coach in 2020, the same year it drafted franchise quarterback Joe Burrow and star wideout Tee Higgins. It then drafted superstar receiver Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 before losing to the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 in the Super Bowl. It then lost to the Kansas City Chiefs by the same score in the AFC Championship Game the following year.

Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are not only still on the team, but they're likely not leaving anytime soon. Higgins is signed through 2028, while Burrow and Chase are signed through 2029.

This is one of the best situations a wide receivers coach can have, as there's no trio more talented in the NFL. Chase won the receiving Triple Crown when Burrow was healthy all season in 2024, and Higgins has logged 800-plus receiving yards in five of his six campaigns.

Chase is also fifth on the franchise's all-time receiving yardage list, while Higgins is 11th. Combine that with Burrow, who is a two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and the Bengals have one of the best offensive cores in the league.

However, the front office must fix a defense that finished 30th with 28.9 points allowed per game in 2025. The team has finished in the bottom half of the NFL in that category in each of the last three seasons, which is the biggest reason it hasn't made the playoffs during that time.

If the front office accomplishes that mission this offseason, then Walters will look like a genius for staying in town.