NFL Rumors: Bengals Fire Multiple Asst. Coaches, HC Will Come from 'The Outside'

The Cincinnati Bengals already fired head coach Marvin Lewis after missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year, and they are reportedly moving on from a number of assistant coaches as well. 

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, linebackers coach Jim Haslett, tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes and running backs coach Kyle Caskey are among those who will not return to the staff in 2019.

Michael Silver of NFL.com noted those assistants are being told the next head coach has other candidates in place to take their spots, which "strongly suggests that an outside candidate will get the job."

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com echoed the sentiment an outside candidate will become the next head coach, which seemingly rules out the possibility of Hue Jackson becoming the leader on the Bengals sideline in 2019. Cincinnati hired him as an assistant after the Cleveland Browns fired him during the 2018 campaign.

Jackson was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and the Browns from 2016 until he was fired following eight games in 2018. While he was a solid 8-8 with the Raiders, he finished an ugly 3-36-1 during his tenure with Cleveland.

He found more success as the offensive coordinator for the Bengals the two years prior to accepting the Browns job, helping lead the AFC North team to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2014 and 2015.

Lewis advocated on Jackson's behalf as the potential next Bengals head coach earlier in the offseason, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com: "I think he's more than qualified. I think he's been in a couple of difficult situations [in Oakland and Cleveland], and that's tough, and it hasn't broke his way. But I think he's an excellent football coach, he's a great motivator. So I think he deserves an opportunity, if not here, somewhere else."

If Cincinnati is indeed looking outside the organization, one potential candidate is Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who played for the Bengals from 1995 through 1998 and helped direct his current team to the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season.

Dave Skretta of the Associated Press (h/t Local 12 Cincinnati) reported Bieniemy spoke with Cincinnati representatives during the Chiefs' bye week prior to the AFC Divisional Round.