Bengals' offensive coordinator gets green light to pursue play-calling role with Buccaneers.
Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher will interview for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' vacant offensive coordinator position this week, and head coach Zac Taylor is giving him the opportunity to explore a role with play-calling duties.
The news was first reported by Ian Rapoport, who noted that Taylor gave Pitcher permission to speak to teams offering play-calling OC opportunities.
This is a big deal for the Bengals, who finished 6-11 this season and are hoping to keep their coaching staff together heading into 2026.
What This Means for the Bengals
Pitcher has spent 10 seasons with Cincinnati and the last two as offensive coordinator, but Taylor handles the play-calling duties in games.
The Buccaneers job would give Pitcher a chance to call plays himself, which is a natural next step for a coach who has been climbing the ranks for years and has already interviewed for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job this offseason.
The Bengals were hoping to retain their entire coaching staff this offseason, but Taylor clearly felt like he should give Pitcher the chance to explore his options given that the Tampa Bay job comes with something Cincinnati does not offer.
In his time with the Bengals, Pitcher worked closely with quarterback Joe Burrow as his position coach from 2020 to 2023 before being promoted to offensive coordinator when Brian Callahan left to become the Titans head coach.
The Buccaneers finished 8-9 this season and fired Josh Grizzard after just one year as their offensive coordinator, which means Tampa Bay is now searching for its fifth OC in five seasons.
The job has been known as a springboard for head coaching opportunities, with Dave Canales and Liam Coen both leaving Tampa Bay to become NFL head coaches in recent years.
What Happens Next
If Pitcher leaves Cincinnati, former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan would be a natural replacement after being fired by the Titans earlier this season.
Callahan spent five seasons as the Bengals' offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2023 and has already interviewed with the Buccaneers and Chargers for coordinator positions.
The Bengals are in a tough spot right now because they need to improve their defense this offseason after finishing 30th in the NFL with 28.9 points allowed per game.
Losing Pitcher would add another problem to the list for a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight years despite having one of the best quarterbacks in football.
This is a developing story that Bengals fans will want to watch closely in the coming days.