ESPN Reports: Cincinnati Bengals makes bold move by hiring ex-rival’s DC to coaching staff….

The Cincinnati Bengals have yet to hire a defensive coordinator after firing Lou Anarumo last Monday, but their focus is reportedly down to two candidates.

Per BengalsTalk.com’s Drae Harris, a former NFL player and scout, the Bengals are locked in on former Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham and Notre Dame DC Al Golden for the position. Harris went as far to predict the latter will end up getting the job.

I believe Golden will be the Bengals’ next defensive coordinator. – BengalsTalk.com’s Drae Harris

Since the beginning of this search, Golden has been tabbed a favorite to land the gig. He’s been a DC for eight of his 32 years of coaching, including the last three years at Notre Dame, and was a head coach for even longer at the college level. The Fighting Irish are preparing to play in the College Football Playoff National Championship after he coached the defense into a top-10 unit this season.

Before Golden landed in South Bend in 2022, he was the Bengals’ linebackers coach from 2020-21, leaving right after the team’s Super Bowl appearance. His work helped Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt develop into full-time starters, and he now has an obvious connection to head coach Zac Taylor having worked under him for two years.

Graham interviewed for the vacancy last week and was the first reported interview the club conducted. He was followed by former New England Patriots DC Demarcus Covington.

Based on Harris’ reporting, it seems like Golden will get the job if he wants it and Graham is the backup plan. Graham, an NFL DC for the past six years, is more than qualified to take over for Anarumo. He’s been with the Raiders since 2022. His previous stops were with the New York Giants from 2020-21 and the Miami Dolphins in 2019.

The main obstacle here could be Golden’s contract. He signed a four-year, $9 million extension with Notre Dame a year ago, making him one of the highest-paid DCs in college football. Will the Bengals pay him more than that? Would Golden still be owed that money if he leaves for an NFL gig? These are questions that don’t have answers yet.

With Golden still coaching through this upcoming Monday, expect a decision to be reached not long after that.