Head coach Marvin Lewis parted ways with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday morning, informing the team that he will pursue other options after the 2017 season and end his 15 year tenure. 2017 was set to be the last year of his contract, a pattern followed by Lewis who operated on a year-to-year basis. His time in Cincinnati through week 15 of the 2017 NFL season is marked with a 123-111-3 record and seven playoff games, but disastrously no playoff wins.
Head Coach Marvin Lewis Parting Ways with Cincinnati Bengals
Head coach Marvin Lewis will be spending his last three weeks in Cincinnati this year. After operating over the last several seasons on a year-to-year contract, he will no longer seek to renew his contract. According to sources, the parting of ways between Lewis and the organization was mutual.
Lewis has been the head coach of the Bengals since 2003, one of the longest standing NFL head coaches. However, his tenure was marked by an inability to win in the playoffs. After seven playoff visits, he failed to win a game.
Lewis is prominent for working with quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Jon Kitna, and Andy Dalton, wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson, and A.J. Green, while creating some of the most violent and ferocious defenses in the NFL. Some of the most physical NFL games in the last 15 years have belonged to the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry, regardless of team disposition or record.
With other teams looking for head coaches, and a slew of Bengals assistants also owning expiring contracts, Lewis may find himself continuing his head coaching journey elsewhere in 2018. However, there is no definitive indication what his plans are.
The 2017 season has been a difficult journey for Lewis and the Bengals. The Bengals have fallen to a 5-8 record heading into week 15, marked by 12 players on the injured reserve including rookie first-round pick John Ross, running back Jeremy Hill, and cornerback Adam Jones. Further, prominent linebacker Vontaze Burfict and corner back Dre Kirkpatrick have also befallen injuries and will be out as the Bengals take on the Minnesota Vikings.
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