Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he’s excited about offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher’s return to the team, despite reportedly having interviewed for other jobs earlier in the offseason, as Taylor spoke at the podium Feb. 24 at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

“(Pitcher)’s been an integral part of our process every single day he’s been here,” Taylor said. “And he and I are lockstep in terms of how the plan comes together, how we’re calling it during the game – all of our discussions during the game. So I think a lot of it’s overstated, when they talk about a first-time play-caller. … I think that’s really overblown. Go find the best person and leader that can put it all together and the players respond to. Those guys usually make pretty good OCs.”

“I’m happy to have him back,” Taylor continued. “I was hopeful he wasn’t gonna go anywhere. But I’ve got a staff that’s worked for me for a long time. So I want them to have great opportunities. I want them to always be searching for more. And I think that’s how you know you’ve got a great staff. They’re not content. They want to continue to do more, and they want more on their plate and bigger opportunities. I’m certainly open to that with Dan.”

Taylor was the only head coach retained from last season in the AFC North.

Earlier, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said he and the front office are “all-in” about trying to get the best team possible with the resources available.

Bengals president and owner Mike Brown announced Jan. 5 that Tobin and Taylor would be back for the 2026 season.

In January, Tobin said he sees “a lot of reasons for optimism” for the Bengals’ future, though he acknowledged the team’s challenges after a 6-11 season.

The Bengals are slated to pick 10th overall in the 2026 NFL draft in April.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Zac Taylor says he’s happy to have OC Dan Pitcher back with Bengals