Bengals WR Coach Turns Down NFC Team’s OC Interview

Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver coach Troy Walters has no plans of leaving Cincinnati anytime soon.

Walters has turned down an opportunity to be the Chicago Bears‘ offensive coordinator by declining a requested interview.

According to a Jonathan Jones post on X, Walters will stay in Cincy with an impressive wide receiver unit.

“The Bears requested to interview Bengals WR coach Troy Walters for their offensive coordinator position, but he declined. Walters, who’s had multiple OC looks the last few years, will stay in Cincy with hopes to win with one of the best units in football.”

Walters is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and the Detroit Lions.

The Cincinnati Bengals Are Talented Offensively

Walters wanting to win in Cincinnati comes to no surprise. The Bengals are loaded offensively.

The problem for the Bengals has been on the defensive side of the ball ranking 31st in total defense in the 2025 season. They ranked 26th in passing defense and 32nd in rushing defense which is dead last.

Walters will remain the Wide Receiver coach of one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins.

In 2025, the Bengals signed Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins to lucrative long-term contracts. Chase signed a four-year $161 million extension and Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million deal, being the highest paid wide receiver duo in the NFL.

Chase is coming off a vintage 2025 season where he was named First Team All-Pro, hauling in 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. Tee Higgins had 59 catches for 846 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 15 games.

Running Back Chase Brown rushed for 1,019 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 17 games. He has proven to be a solid player coming out of the backfield. Brown had a team-high 1,456 scrimmage yards during the 2025 season.

During the 2024 season, the Bengals had the first-ranked passing offense in the NFL off of an impressive season from Joe Burrow. In 2025, they ranked 6th with Joe Burrow being out for the vast majority of the season.

On January 19th, The Bengals signed tight end Tanner Hudson to a one-year contract extension through the 2026 season.

Hudson, who will be seven-year veteran in the NFL, has played 38 games for the Bengals. He has caught 77 passes for 674 yards and four touchdowns, including 19 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns in 2025.

The Cincinnati Bengals Success Depends on Joe Burrow’s Health

The Bengals have shown they can be dangerous offensively when Joe Burrow is on the field.

Here lies the problem: Burrow has not been on the field.

Injuries have plagued Joe Burrow over the years which have contributed to the Bengals lack of success, including the 2025 season where the Bengals finished the season 6-11.

Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury which kept him out for 9 games in 2025. During the 2023 season, Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist which caused him to miss the rest of the 2023 season. He also suffered a significant knee injury in his rookie year.

On the flip side, the Bengals have had success with Burrow being on field appearing in a Super Bowl in 2021 and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2022.

The Bengals are expected to address their defensive woes this offseason. When the Bengals are healthy offensively, they can score with anyone in the NFL.

DeonTay Smith is a journalist who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. A graduate from Methodist University, Smith also covers local news for the Panama City News Herald and hosts his own YouTube podcast. More about DeonTay Smith