The first name to surface in this year’s hunt for a head coach may be getting a second look.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Carolina Panthers are planning on bringing in Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for a second interview. The organization announced they completed their virtual interview with the 39-year-old on Thursday.
Callahan got his start as a coaching assistant for the Denver Broncos in 2010, where he’d also serve as an offensive quality control coach in 2011 and an offensive assistant in 2013. After Denver, he spent his next three years as a quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions (2016 to 2017) and for the then-Oakland Raiders (2018).
2019 marked the beginning of his coordinating career, as Callahan was hired to head the Cincinnati offense. He’d help lead the Bengals to an AFC title during the 2021 campaign, where the unit averaged 361.5 total yards per contest.
The “hot” head-coaching candidate is also expected to get second interviews from the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.