When word broke about the Titans’ plan to make Callahan their next head coach, Pitcher was at the top of their list of potential replacements.

The 37-year-old has been Joe Burrow’s quarterbacks coach since the Bengals took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Pitcher is one of the hottest names in the offensive coordinator market and like Callahan, seemed destined for a promotion this offseason.

Pitcher was close to taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator job last season. Instead, he returned to Cincinnati. Now he has a chance to stick with Burrow, Taylor and help guide this offense into a new chapter.

It isn’t a done deal. No decisions have been made. Multiple teams are still interested in Pitcher, including the Patriots, Raiders and Saints.

While a team could make a hard push to steal Pitcher away, all signs point to him becoming the next Bengals offensive coordinator.

As certain as it feels, it isn’t official until it’s official, and stranger things have happened. For now, Pitcher appears to have a sizable lead in the race to become the Bengals new offensive coordinator.