The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly losing their offensive coordinator this offseason. Brian Callahan, who has served in that role for the past five years, is expected to become the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Callahan presided over the rise of QB Joe Burrow and quickly raised his profile. At 39 years old, he is now one of the youngest head coaches in the league—though still younger than Sean McVay.
The move could have a major ripple effect, however, for the other Ohio team. Callahan’s father, Bill Callahan, is the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line coach. One of the most respected line coaches in the league, he has earned a lot of credit for their current unit.
The Titans’ decision to fire Mike Vrabel as head coach was somewhat surprising, and he is expected to land back on his feet this cycle. But with a new regime coming into place, that means a new coaching staff. And obviously there are ties between father and son.
According to Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr., Brian has always expressed a desire to coach with his father. And it’s not like it would be a widely criticized move. It would be a good business decision. Bill Callahan is, again, viewed as among the best in his field.
Bill Callahan has been in Cleveland coaching their offensive line since 2020. He helped raise the level of play of that unit, which had dropped since the retirement of Joe Thomas, and return it to one of the best in the game.
Perhaps the strongest accolade is the fact that they still rushed for over 2,000 yards this season despite losing All-Pro RB Nick Chubb in the second game of the season. Make no mistake, there was a drop-off. But they kept things going with second-year Jerome Ford serving as their lead runner. He was supplemented by a past-his-prime Kareem Hunt, whom they retrieved from the couch, scoring nine touchdowns.
In terms of pass protection, they struggled the most while playing with their mobile quarterbacks. In five starts, for example, they only allowed Joe Flacco to be sacked eight times, compared to 17 in six games for Deshaun Watson. But mobile quarterbacks often create their own sacks by trying to do too much to keep plays alive.
No doubt, losing Bill Callahan would be a blow for the Browns, so the Titans’ decision to fire Vrabel is likely to hurt not one but two AFC North teams. The Bengals are losing their offensive coordinator. The Browns’ offensive line coach is bound to follow his son.
The only hurdle is Callahan being under contract, but they can get over that by offering him an assistant head coach title along with the offensive line coach designation. He was assistant head coach for three years in Washington. On top of that, he also has prior coordinating experience, and was even a head coach a couple decades ago. He took the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl in his first season—before being trounced by Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Mike Tomlin on staff.
