Zac Taylor’s staff remains intact as Bengals retain all 3 coordinators

Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will return for his fifth season with the Bengals after the Arizona Cardinals opted to hire Jonathan Gannon for their head coaching job, a source tells The Enquirer.

The initial news of the Cardinals' plan to hire Gannon was first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

This means the Bengals will return offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons and Anarumo for a fifth consecutive season under head coach Taylor.

Over the last two weeks, the Bengals and Taylor have been in limbo waiting to see if Anarumo or Callahan would get head coach jobs elsewhere. Now, they have clarity. For Taylor to return the same three coordinators for five seasons in a row is almost unheard of in the NFL nowadays – just look at what happened to the Eagles.

Philadelphia played in Super Bowl 57 and lost their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs with other teams.

Anarumo, 56, was one of two finalists for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy. Arizona was the only team to interview Anarumo for a head coaching job this cycle. Anarumo is widely praised for his in-game defensive calls and his game plans that have limited several of the NFL’s best quarterbacks over the last two seasons.

Callahan, 38, interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts and the Cardinals this cycle. He’s now interviewed with three different teams over the last two seasons for head coaching jobs. NFL owners have shifted to wanting more offensive-minded head coaches over the last few years and Callahan’s work with quarterbacks is intriguing.

The importance of the Bengals getting Anarumo and Callahan back shouldn’t be understated. It’s a massive deal for Cincinnati.

The continuity of the coaching staff with the players is important for several reasons. Often when there’s a change at offensive or defensive coordinator, scheme changes can happen. This won’t happen for the Bengals and it’s a good thing.

Another positive in returning all three coordinators is the coaches’ familiarity with the players. With free agency and the NFL draft not far away, the Bengals won’t have to deal with a new coach learning his new players. Each coach on Taylor’s staff knows everything about the current roster as it stands and what the team needs will be moving forward.

It’s also helpful in the marriage of Cincinnati’s personnel staff. Director of personnel Duke Tobin and Taylor’s coordinators know exactly the type of players they want and need on the roster.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals will return DC Lou Anarumo, OC Brian Callahan for fifth season