The Cincinnati Bengals surprisingly decided to bring back head coach Marvin Lewis on a two-year extension that runs through the 2019 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

There was a growing expectation that Lewis was going to step away from the position after the completion of his contract after this season. However, there was a sudden internal shift to keep him in the fold for at least the next two years as head coach.

From the Bengals' press release:

“My family and I are very grateful for the opportunity to stay in Cincinnati and continue my career with the Bengals,” said Lewis. “My job is to win a World Championship. We have a talented roster full of veteran leaders and emerging young stars, and I am committed to making the necessary improvements to put this team in the best position to win.”

Lewis completed his 15th season with the team this year, holding a 125-112 record. He's the winningest coach in franchise history and he currently has the 26th-most wins in NFL history, as well as the 4th-most most among active NFL coaches. He helped lead the franchise to seven playoff appearances while winning three AFC North division titles, earning the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2009.

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GM Duke Tobin in the middle, Rome Odunze, T'Vondre Sweat, Brandon Coleman around him, and Cincinnati Bengals in the background.

Enzo Flojo ·

“Marvin Lewis has been an important member of the Cincinnati community and the Bengals family for the past 15 years, and we are happy to have reached this agreement,” said Bengals President Mike Brown. “Marvin has made significant contributions during his time here. While recently we have fallen short of our expectations, we have full confidence in Marvin to re-establish winning football in 2018.”

However, the biggest knock against Lewis' Bengals is their inability to get it done in the playoffs, having bowed out without a single win in those seven postseason trips. It has made his time with the team quite puzzling given the lack of success after the regular season. There was an expectation that Lewis would transition into a front office role with Cincinnati rather than continuing to coach.

With Lewis locked in for the next two seasons, he extends his status as the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL, behind Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.