What makes Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan a rising NFL coach
New York TimesCINCINNATI — One minute left, and the Bengals and Jaguars are tied at 21. “It was,” Callahan says, “like getting a Ph.D. in quarterback play.” Matthew Stafford When Callahan became the Lions’ quarterbacks coach, he was working in the same offense he did with Manning. “Dan helped me mold what I taught to the personalities I was teaching.” Stafford appreciated Callahan’s experience with Manning, but he didn’t necessarily want the same play calls. Sometimes it’s just telling an amusing story, but often it’s passing down a lesson, or as Burrow puts it, giving him a “nugget.” “I’ve got a lot of experience with these quarterbacks and Joe’s the perfect person to impart all the things I’ve learned because he’s able to handle all of it,” says Callahan, now a veteran coach at 38 years old. Brian’s going to get that opportunity and he’s going to be really good at it.” From playing catch with Cunningham, to peppering Gannon with questions, to finding plays for Tebow, to poring through tape for Manning, to adjusting his message for Stafford, to finding workarounds with Carr, to empowering Burrow, Callahan has developed a deep understanding of how to help a quarterback maximize his gifts.