Bengals linebackers coach Jim Haslett will return in 2018

Linebackers coach Jim Haslett will remain with the Bengals organization as the team’s linebacker coach, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jim Owczarski. Haslett, who joined the organization during the 2016 offseason purge of defensive coaches, will enter his third season as the linebackers coach.

Haslett is deeply respected amongst his players. Following the regular season finale against Baltimore, Vincent Rey explained to reporters that, with so much uncertainty coming, his crew wanted to win one for Haslett, as well as Lewis, who was believed to be leaving Cincinnati after the game.

“I wanted to win it for Coach Haslett,” said Rey after Cincinnati’s win over the Ravens. “The other linebackers did, too, because Coach Haslett put so much into this. He’s in before us; he’s still here when we leave. As players, we’re around our position coach so much. We’re really close with our position coach, but we wanted to win one for Coach [Marvin] Lewis.”

It was believed that Haslett could be a possible candidate as the team’s defensive coordinator, boasting an expansive resume with experience as a defensive coordinator for the Saints (1996), Steelers (1997-99), Rams (2006-08), and Redskins (2010-14). However, per Owczarski’s responses to readers on his original tweet, Haslett will resume his previous duties as the team’s linebackers coach. Along with the Bengals, he’s been a linebackers coach with the Raiders (1993-94) and Saint (1995).

Haslett is the first confirmed defensive coach for the team’s 2018 coaching staff. Former defensive coordinator Paul Guenther left for Oakland and defensive line coach Jacob Burney will not return. The status of defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle is currently unknown.