Lewis unsure of future with Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis would like to return for a 16th season, but management has not committed to a new contract.
Lewis told reporters Monday that he spoke with team owner Mike Brown about his future, but they reached no conclusions and planned more discussions.
Lewis said there is mutual interest for him to remain with the organization.
"I don't think there's a delay or sticking point here," Lewis said. "I just think that ... this isn't a paper route. I just think that there's things that both of us want to feel good about."
The Bengals are coming off consecutive losing seasons and Sunday's late rally for a 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens completed a 7-9 campaign. The Bengals ended playoff hopes for the Detroit Lions and Ravens in consecutive weeks.
However, time is not on Lewis' side if overall continuity is a factor in the decision by either party. None of the team's assistant coaches or coordinators have contracts for 2018, making them candidates to latch on with numerous other organizations that will be hiring new head coaches and staffs in the coming weeks.
"It's unfortunate that they're stuck in this limbo right now that way," Lewis said. "They're aware of it and so forth so that also makes an urgency for both parties that way, because they're basically free agents as well. The urgency has to happen (on) both sides."
Lewis and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Chuck Noll are the only head coaches since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to last at least 12 consecutive seasons in one organization without reaching the Super Bowl. Noll went on to win four Lombardi Trophies in the 1970s that provided job security as he entered the 1980s.
--Field Level Media
