Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Troy Walters turns down OC interview as Bengals make small coaching staff changes for 2025
Episode Date: February 3, 2026Dan Pitcher was quietly drawing interest from NFL teams after Tampa Bay hired Zac Robinson, and Troy Walters turned down the Bears for an offensive coordinator interview, so it looks like the key play...ers on the Bengals' offense staff will return for 2026. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down the ramifications as the Bengals also added Davis Koetter to the offensive staff, signaling small changes for the Bengals' position coaches. Will they make any additional hires on the defensive side of the ball?Plus, a small rant about the broken Pro Bowl process that saw Joe Flacco and Joe Burrow added late in the process.Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclubJoin the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengalsFind and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-bengals-daily-podcast-on-the-cincinnati-bengals/id1159723162Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0lh0WmQl5fJVgtajsGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbG9ja2Vkb25iZW5nYWxz?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwio_sXtj8nuAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAgStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-bengalsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!TurboTaxFor a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today.FanDuelIf you’re a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets if you win. Make it count — because after the Super Bowl, the season is over. Last call for football on FanDuel, an Official Sportsbook Partner of Super Bowl Sixty.PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.RobinhoodTrade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin.Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firmIndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/lockedonnfl.GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/lockedonNFL and get three months free when you run your first payroll.QuoMake this the year where no opportunity — and no customer — slips away. Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://Quo.com/lockedonnfl.BetterhelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. DripDropRight now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to http://dripdrop.com and use promo code lockedonnfl. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Discussion (0)
Despite some sustained interest in Zach Taylor's offensive lieutenants,
the Bengals will be retaining much of their offensive staff and making some small changes for 2026.
Let's get into it.
You are locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast.
Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.
What up, Bengals fans, and welcome to another episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast,
part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.
number one sports podcast network in the land.
He's James Rapine.
I'm Jake Liskow.
We are your host of lockdown Bengals going back since its inception in 2016.
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place, your best one stop shop to keep up with your Bengals on the internet.
And today we'll cover some coaching news for the Bengals as some of the names on this
offensive staff were involved in various coaching searches around the league that were reported
at different levels in the last couple of weeks and looks like that interest or has either dried
up or has been turned down in the case of one coach.
Bengals, we talked about at the end of our show on Sunday afternoon on Monday, hired a coach,
and that not officially announced by the team yet, but has been reported.
So a small tweak coming in some way, shape, or form to the-
this offensive staff as well.
And we'll wrap up today with a comically broken pro bowl process that
talks about multiple pro bowl quarterbacks for the Cincinnati Bengals,
which I think is the first time ever.
We'll get to rant about that a little bit later here, James.
But let's start with what's going on with the Bengals coaching staff.
What has been going on?
Because not a whole lot of reporting around Dan Pitcher, around Troy Walters,
getting some continued looks.
but it sounds like those looks are coming to a close for different reasons.
Yeah, it's one, I think it's really interesting.
Like, Troy Walters, to me, is one of the best wide receivers coaches in the league.
And that's not just talking with T. and Jamar, obviously, those guys came into Uber talented.
But like, I just, you talk to guys that work with him daily and different players
and whether they're veterans coming through or rookies or undrafted guys,
and they all respect him and really hold what he says in high regard,
plus just having conversations with them, of course.
And Dan Pitcher is someone that I think it's interesting that,
I believe the league views him a certain way,
and especially a couple of years ago and even now,
from an offensive coordinator standpoint,
now he's an offensive coordinator,
so it makes it a bit more difficult.
but from an offensive coordinator standpoint.
And as a high-end coach,
and I think the Brian Callahan situation in Tennessee and Nashville
kind of hurt Dan pitcher's chances of becoming a head coach of the cycle,
and he realized it and thought,
hey, maybe I can get a play-calling job or something like that.
And so the point is, I'm saying all these things.
We can get into more detail,
but I think they got some really good coaches.
And when Zach Taylor says that and said that last month,
month. And you think about the early returns that they've gotten out of Scott Peters. And honestly,
I think Jerry Montgomery did a pretty good job with what he had. You see Miles Murphy taking a few
steps forward this past year. Like, they may have a pretty darn good coaching staff. And we'll see.
But yeah, good news that you're going to have some continuity on offense for sure. Yeah. And that's been
assumed to have been the case, I think, since Dan pitcher didn't get the Tampa job. But there was
continued interest in Dan pitcher.
And there were reports very recently.
The Troy Walters was requested for a number of non-play calling OC jobs and turn them down.
Didn't have any interest in going to take an OC job where he wasn't calling plays.
So Walters will be back with the Bengals coaching two of the best wide receivers in the NFL,
obviously, and being tasked with coaching up the complementary pieces, whether that's Andro
Yosevosh, Charlie Jones, and Kishon will be.
Kishon Williams or is it Williams James?
Kishon Williams, Isaiah Williams?
No, the returner they added late in the year.
Oh, you're probably right.
I literally just wrote because I was writing about Troy Walters and I had an Isaiah
Williams quote.
And so that's why I was like, oh, you're talking about Isaiah Williams.
It is Kishon Williams.
Look at you out of Pittsburgh.
And he did come on pretty strong.
Yeah.
I mean, he was good for them as a returner anyway and certainly made an impression,
an older rookie, 24 years old now.
Got me there.
Kishan Williams wasn't ready, was not ready.
The fringes of the roster, but certainly made some plays for them late in the season,
like I said, especially as a returner and did enough to stick on the roster.
We'll see he'll be part of the competition assuredly in 2026.
That's part of Troy's job is finding and coaching up those ancillary pieces,
is the third and fourth wide receivers that are going to get in to the rotation.
And the Bengals may add a player there.
They tried to draft Remain Burton there a couple of years ago.
Obviously, that didn't work out.
And we talked about the potential for them to add another piece to that room,
to vary up the skill set a little bit.
We've made the jokes about the short-shifty king, the slot player for Joe Burrow.
And mostly that's me making the jokes.
Not trench man.
Trenchman would never.
But the-
I don't think about weapons.
Yeah, James just doesn't think about offensive.
Trenches. More centers.
That's it. That's all we think about here.
And that's why I'm not the trench man.
Beef, trench man.
The, it is interesting, though.
Sorry, lost my train of thought there.
Trenchman, classic distraction.
Loss my train of thought.
Troy Walters did get those OC looks, James, and turn them down to stay with the Bengals,
essentially.
And I think that's kind of interesting, right?
that pitch was still in some conversations and Walters came up for those OC jobs,
which we've kind of thought was his trajectory for a while.
I mean, he's only been the Bengals wide receivers coach since 2021.
He came in as the assistant wide receivers coach when Bob McNell was still coaching
the wide receivers in 2020 and has quickly worked his way into consideration for O.D.
And what I think is interesting about it is one, we know Dan Pitcher wants to call plays,
thinks that that could be part of why
he's not getting as many head coaching looks as he could.
And part of that probably is Brian Calhahn
was in this position a few years ago
and all of those things with Joe Brangamar Chase, fine.
All right.
Detroit Walters, the Chicago Bears call,
and that's the job that expressed interest
in interviewing him for their offensive coordinator job.
Well, that's a non-play calling OC job as well
with an established quarterback now
in a really good offense.
And a head coach in Ben Johnson
is considered one of the bright offensive.
of minds in the league. So one, it's a really good job, but two, it's a non-play calling job.
And so it's not like the Jets called Troy Walters and said, hey, come in an interview or the,
Cleveland Browns with Chodor. Like, no, this was like, get to be the Bears OC if you get the
job. And that's a pretty good gig. So when you look at that and you see, all right, well,
pitcher kind of wants out. Like, let's be honest here, kind of wants out, but it doesn't
feel like it's in the cards this year, which honestly means you're probably going to get his
best. I think coaches when they're the really high end coaches when their backs are are put up
against the wall like that, I think they respond with, okay, well, let's respond accordingly.
And the way to respond is to coach your tail off. So there's one. Two, Troy probably says,
man, one more year here. And maybe I'm getting a play calling opportunity. Maybe I'm getting an opportunity to be the
Bengals offensive coordinator.
If Dan pitcher leaves, you never know.
And so he probably likes where he's at.
He's going into seven years now.
You know, I mean, it's quickly, it's quickly become a significant part of the decade here with Troy Walters in that Bengals wide receivers room.
So overall, though, I think both of these are, it's just really good news for the Bengals because you look at that offensive room.
And, yeah, there's a lot of questions on defense.
having the same offensive coordinator,
having the same wide receivers coach.
If the Bengals are playing in Super Bowl 61,
it's probably going to be a big part of it is their offense
and their wide receivers are going out there and making big plays.
Yeah, I just think it's really interesting.
I agree with that.
I think it's really interesting how few real play-calling OC jobs
exist in the NFL at this point.
The only ones are really defensive head coaches
that aren't going to call plays on the offense,
like Jesse Mentor in Baltimore who hires Declan Doyle from the Bears to bring it all together to call plays.
But like the only OC or the only offensive minded head coach, or maybe there's two, that aren't calling plays.
I think it looks like Tommy Reese might call plays in Atlanta where Kevin Safansky is a head coach.
And didn't Nick Siriani call plays for Philly in the past and they're not going to have Siriani go back to play calling?
I think those are the only two of jobs.
it changed hands this year
where there's an
offensive head coach in place who isn't calling
plays. The idea that offensive
coordinators are calling plays in the NFL
is this idea that is like faded
in less more defensive,
non-offensive head coaches
take jobs. And I just think that's an
interesting trend that
the Bengals obviously
got in on with Zach Taylor wanting their head
coach to call plays as well.
The Bengals did make a small change
to their coaching staff. And
that might precipitate some others
all jumbling on this
coaching staff as well. We'll get to those
notes coming up next.
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No, Jake, the Bengals new coach is not in the trenches.
It's not a trench man higher.
You know me.
I'm all about the trenches.
And that is not the case.
Instead, it's an assistant wide receivers coach, which really pains me to discuss.
I hate talking about wide receivers.
and yet here we are the Bengals hiring Davis Cutter to be their assistant-wide receivers coach behind Troy Walters.
And I think there's a couple things here, initial reaction.
And my initial reaction was, oh, well, one, you know the name Dirk Cutter, I'm sure.
A lot of people do.
He's a longtime NFL coach.
Tampa Bay is probably where he's most well-known for being there.
But an assistant-wide receivers coach.
is Troy Walters going anywhere?
And you got to keep that pipeline going.
And so we'll see.
But Davis Cutter played wide receiver in college is a young buck.
And he's coached a few years at the college level.
And now is joining Troy Walters in that wide receiver room.
Yeah, it's interesting because he played at Boise State.
And we talked about the stats at the end of the show Monday, like the very end of the show.
We talked about some of his stats.
but had his best season when he had eight touchdowns in 2019, 626 yards, 38 catches.
But what's interesting to me about it is a lot of times when there's coach,
son overlap, because Dirt Cutter also coached at Boise State, they only overlapped
when Cutter was there in 2022.
And a dirt cutter was there in 2022.
So I just thought that was an interesting note that the dad arrived.
after the sun at Boise State.
But yeah, Dirk Cutter was previously at the University of Texas.
As an analyst was the University of South Carolina's quarterback's coach.
And it's following a similar path to the guy that was in the assistant wide receiver
coach job for the Bengals and now presumably is either in a new job with the Bengals or
we'll see.
Maybe he has found his way to another team.
But that was Jordan Salkin, the quarterback's coach from the University of Oregon.
that the Bengals hired to be their assistant wide receivers coach in 2024.
And so a little bit of a shuffle happening amongst the offensive coaching staff.
And this is not too dissimilar to when they hired Justin Viscati.
When they hired Jordan Salk and they made these smaller, lower level assistant or, you know,
offensive analyst slash assistant.
Like Justin Rascati's role is still somewhat ambiguous.
We haven't heard a ton from Justin Rascati in his time in Cincinnati.
We know that he was involved in some of their run game changes in 2025,
but his title is past game coordinator,
so trying to put that together doesn't necessarily clarify the situation.
But we'll see where Salkin goes now,
and there appears to be a vacancy.
The eagle-eyed who keep an eye on bengals.com's coaching staff for officer,
which updates pretty quickly when the bengals no longer have that,
coach in their employee.
Freddie Knighton, the previous assistant quarterbacks coach, no longer listed here.
And shout out to Matt on Twitter for noticing this first that I noticed anyway and led me
to go investigate a little bit further, but Freddie Knighton no longer listed on bangles.com.
And they haven't changed Jordan Salkins title.
They haven't added Davis Cutter yet.
And those things last year did take a while, or whenever the last time was that they made
those assistant position coach kind of hires those took a while to show up it might be a few
weeks still but that was part of a number of changes the bengals made uh when they did make these
hires in the past and so curious to see if there are more tweaks coming on the defensive side of
the ball james yeah i wonder i wonder if there are i think the jordan salkin one just it seems
like you get them in that quarterback room just in case and you get that pipeline going and i know they
they like what he brought to that room.
And they were impressed early in his Bengals tenure coming from Oregon and what he could offer.
And so maybe that's it.
Maybe it was as simple as, so I'm sure Freddie Knighton got a two-year deal.
Maybe his contract was up and they're like, hey, we like Jordan Salkin.
Let's go find another assistant wide receivers coach.
Let's go get someone behind Troy.
We trust Troy.
Let's do that.
Like just thinking, I haven't talked to anyone about this because it's if I'm going to bother the power.
as far as that be, I'm going to bother them about bigger things, to be quite frank with you.
I almost bet that's what it is.
Maybe it's not full on, but like knowing the Bengals process and how they think that might be
it is like, oh, well, this guy's contract's up.
Now, maybe Freddie just got a deal elsewhere and a job elsewhere.
I haven't seen that.
So it's part of the shuffle.
On defense, yeah, I'm sure you want to see that pass rush specialist.
That's what you want.
You want to see that pass rush.
Oh, my goodness, this pass rush is going to be so good.
because this guy came in and is going to help you do it.
They have to.
Who doesn't?
I'm trench man.
Jeez.
They have two nondescript defensive assistance on the coaching staff that are working with these various roles.
Mike Moon being one of those, Ronnie Regula being one of those.
They also have Sean Desai still listed on the staff.
And he was brought in last year, right, to do this like offensive.
perspective
resource for the defense
because he's got an offensive background
Sean Desai obviously
but he's working with the defense I think to help them
with you know preparation and game planning
stuff but all that being said
and we'll see maybe the title's changed for Mike Moon
maybe the title changes for Ronnie Regula
this year as they were putting
that defensive staff together last year
but there is no
assistant defensive line coach
there is no assistant lineback or assistant
secondary coach they have two
secondary coaches, but there's no like assistant position coaches on the defensive side of the
ball the way they have assistant offensive line coach, assistant wide receivers coach,
assistant quarterback's coach on offense. In addition to the past game coordinator,
Justin Rascati role. So like they've just got more coaches on offense and that's part of it too
is just let's put a few more resources on the defensive side of the ball. Couldn't hurt, right?
just more guys available to help with the various things that are going on over there
as long as you're in sync with the powers that be, as you said, James.
That's what I'm looking for on the defense side of the ball.
Yeah, no doubt.
There's a theme, defense, defense, and none of those members on defense,
even though DJ Turner shoulda coulda woulda didn't get chosen for the Pro Bowl.
Four Bengals did.
Jake is frustrated with the Pro Bowl games process.
Get him, Jake.
talk about that coming up next.
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One last coaching note before we rant about the Pro Bowl for a few minutes.
DeMata Pecco going to the Pittsburgh Steelers,
that's just like a personal insult because that has been our banner picture
on the lockdown Bengals' Twitter page
since we had a little sit down with Domitah in Los Angeles
before the Bengals played in that Super Bowl in 2021.
And then we had to go change a picture
because we can't have a Steelers coach up there.
And obviously, you know, longtime Bengal,
a fan favorite first time in Cincinnati,
one of the nicest guys that I've come across in Bengals' player history.
And now he goes and coaches the Steelers.
I mean, come on.
we do it. Yeah. No, Domitau's awesome. Sucks that he's going to Pittsburgh. Domitow, hopefully
you suck at coaching D-Linman. Because they already got a good D-Line. They don't need much
coaching there, right? Like, it's kind of how a lot of people view the Bengals wide receivers coach.
It's like, oh, well, you got J. Mar and T. How hard could it be in there? It's like,
TJ Watt and Cam Hayward and you got Keanu Betten and then I could go on. I mean,
High Smith. I mean, they just got dudes. So.
Domitah, good luck, but also, you know.
He is replacing Carl Dunbar, who is one of the best defensive line coaches around.
And that's the guy we talked about, I think, last week.
Like, yeah, go hire him.
Somebody, please, like, guy is really good at his job.
Just a little aside there on Domitah.
Joe Burrow is now a pro bowler.
I don't know if he is going to have a single practice.
And their flag football practices.
Looks like Joe Flacco got one.
T. Higgins and Jemar Chase got a couple.
I don't know if we covered that T got in as an ultra.
I think we did cover T getting in as an ultra.
I'm not sure we covered either, Joe.
I can't remember if we talked about that on the show.
But the process is so bad that I'm pretty sure it goes in order, right?
There are all these alternates they can ask to go to the Pro Bowl.
And I'm pretty sure the way this played out,
I don't think they're circling back to guys once they turn them down.
There's a lot of people that think Joe turned them down and then they went back to Joe.
Maybe.
But until I see that reported, you know, we'll see.
I feel like they could have asked some other guys after Joe who were.
Do you see that report about Justin Fields?
They asked Fields and he said no.
Yes.
Yeah.
So that suggests to me that Justin Fields is also ahead of Joe Burrow in this process.
Now, apparently pro bowl voting ended in mid-December.
So at that point, I just don't know how Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco, and Shadur Sanders all ended up playing like roughly the same amount of games.
And Burrow by far the best of them.
Flacco is certainly better than Shadur Sanders.
But the process, when you're talking about guys that played half a season being your Pro Bowl quarterbacks, like this honor has gone from a thing that has been used in Hall of Fame conversations.
and all decade team honors
and things like this
where it used to mean something to an absolute joke
with how deep they're going in alternates
for some of these positions.
I mean,
literally Shurgera Sanders is one of the worst quarterbacks
in the NFL this year.
And he somehow is ahead of all these other guys,
not just the Bengals,
but all these other guys in the AFC
because that's how broken the process is.
And I wouldn't be surprised if this curfuffle,
that's not the word I want to use.
This travesty of a process
leads to some sort of changes in this process,
some sort of changes overall
because what they're doing right now
is honestly a joke, a bad joke,
and it doesn't need to be that way
for what used to be a pretty meaningful honor
for NFL players.
Yeah, I agree.
I'm not sure why.
Like I look at the,
and it's great for Joe Flacko,
and he should have been a Pro Bowl early in his career
and turned down opportunities to do so
because of personal stuff and having babies
and all those things like makes sense.
But this year like you don't think of Joe Flacco's a pro bowler.
You don't even really think of Joe Burroughs a pro bowler, but I get it.
Like you look at that AFC quarterback room and it's like, okay, well Joe Burrow,
it makes sense when you compare it to the NFC quarterback room.
At the same time, yeah, I don't know,
I don't know exactly how they fix it.
Maybe you put it in Hawaii, maybe start there.
Like make it like this awesome place that you don't usually go.
and so then it feels a bit more special
and go from there because you need to get these guys
playing and wanting to be there
and the good news is is guys like T. Higgins, they want to be there.
Jamar, I don't think he had any hesitation about going
to the Pro Bowl from what I was told.
So it can work some, but yeah, the Chador Sanders, Joe Flacco,
Joe Burrell quarterback room.
I mean, that's the best quarterback room in the league.
Joe, Joe, then Chador.
But it's because the two Joe's
are doing all the pulling, right?
And so, yeah, Bengals,
best quarterback room in the league, bring it back.
This is the only thing this Pro Bowl is telling me.
I have two pro bowlers in that room
starting week one of 2026.
Apparently it's not a problem in the NFC.
Like the list in the NFC, totally respectable,
like real quarterbacks.
You got Jared Gop, Jalen Hertz,
Stack Prescott on the NFC side?
Well, it's,
I assume.
like you have Alan got it
nicked up
yeah the the
NFC I feel like it lacks the
star power quarterback but there's a lot of solid
quarterbacks
like you look at them there's just a lot of solid
yeah and so maybe that's
the difference I think reality is
you have guys in the
a FC that are hurt
and that's a big part of it a lot of guys
hurt in the AFC and they just had to really
go way down the list this year
and
I just you know
it's
It's painfully obvious.
When you end up with Shadur Sanders being ahead of all these other guys,
whether it's Joe Burrow and Joe Flack or any other guy in the AFC,
you got something deeply broken.
That's the start of it.
Joe Burrow being added like a day before the Pro Bowl,
two days before the Pro Bowl, like, yeah, not a great look for the Pro Bowl,
obviously.
But it should be fun to see Joe throwing a T.
in the flag game and that'll be.
Which Joe?
Yeah.
That's Tuesday night at 8.
And we get to make jokes about how
the coaching staffs in Cleveland and Cincinnati both had two
Pro Bowl quarterbacks and didn't manage to win anything with him.
What are you doing?
Kevin Cepansky and Zach Taylor.
Ohio is the Pro Bowl capital,
the quarterback capital of the world for sure.
That's going to do it for this episode.
the Lockdown Bengals.
I want to talk about the trenches now.
Yep.
It's time for James and I to have our daily post-show trench man conversation.
And so we got to let you go.
Until next time, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast,
Today and have a good.
