The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly aren’t parting ways with coach Marvin Lewis, but he may be under a bit more pressure in 2017 than he has been in years past.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Lewis will not be fired despite a disappointing 2016 season, but owner Mike Brown is expected to hold off on giving the coach his customary one-year contract extension. It’s a move that would force Lewis to coach in the final year of his deal in 2017, allowing the Bengals to make a decision at the end of the year.
Lewis, the second longest-tenured coach in the NFL, has been with Cincinnati since 2003. He has a 117-103-3 record with seven playoff appearances, but an 0-7 postseason record.
It wasn’t long ago that Lewis was said to be on the hot seat, but the Bengals aren’t pulling the trigger right now. The team’s 5-9-1 record in 2016 won’t make anyone happy, though, and a repeat of it in 2017 may signal the end of Lewis’s time on the Cincinnati sideline.
