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Bengals already plucked Raiders QB coach Brian Callahan as offensive coordinator, now former head coach Jack Del Rio favorite to land defensive coordinator job

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Oakland Raiders v Los Angeles Chargers Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

As soon as the Super Bowl was done, the Bengals wasted no time in naming Rams 35-year-old QB coach Zac Taylor as the head coach. Taylor comes on board with his offensive coordinator already in place. That will be Brian Callahan who was the Raiders QB coach last season under Jon Gruden.

Next up in the business of finding a Defensive Coordinator and they could be dipping into the former Raiders coach pool again. as ESPN’s Tom Pelissero reports former Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is the name to watch to land the job.

It’s especially interesting considering it was former Bengals Defensive Coordinator Paul Guenther who took the same job with the Raiders after Del Rio was fired and replaced by Jon Gruden.

Callahan was a QB coach for the Lions for two seasons in 2016-17 before taking the job in Oakland for one season under Gruden. His father Bill had been the Offensive Coordinator under Gruden in his first stint Oakland.

Del Rio was the head coach of the Raiders for three seasons, including 2016 which was the Raiders’ first winning season and first trip to the playoffs since 2001. But in his time in Oakland, defense was not the team’s strong suit. Ken Norton Jr was his DC. Norton took the DC job in Seattle and Del Rio spent last season out of coaching.