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Bengals don't plan to fire Marvin Lewis, according to reports

According to an ESPN report, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is expected to remain on the team's sidelines next season... as of now.

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals "have no plans" on making a change at head coach "at this time", according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Head coach Marvin Lewis suffered his seventh postseason loss on Saturday, becoming the first head coach in NFL history to lose each of his first seven games in the playoffs.

However, Cincinnati's 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers is generating new questions and concerns for an aging narrative. Why was Lewis unable to control his players, two of whom generated 30 yards of conduct penalties in the final minute of the game that directly led to Pittsburgh's game-winning field goal?

Lewis, who signed a one-year extension last year, will remain on Cincinnati's sidelines next season. What happens next is unclear and there's speculation another extension could be withheld until Cincinnati achieves the unachievable -- a postseason win.

In the meantime, Jason La Canfora reported on Saturday that if Cincinnati makes a head coaching change, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who the Bengals view as a "Mike Zimmer in the making", would be the leading candidate to replace Lewis.

Additionally, there are reports that Hue Jackson will be taking his pick among head coaching vacancies, and that the 49ers are looking like the likely landing spot for the Bengals' offensive coordinator.