It’s time for the big moves. And the Bengals have resorted to some unusual places to find their coaches. Despite their QB Joe Burrow finishing as the passing yards leader, they couldn’t even qualify for the playoffs. So, the problems in the O-line are quite visible. It was time for something out of the routine and they just did that. The Bengals announced a shocker on January 20 as Scott Peters as their new O-line coach. And he has come up with special plans for the QB.

Peters is a 2-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, a UFC trainer, and former Arizona boxing commissioner. With such a tough guy at the helm, the offensive players might find that inner determination to succeed this year. It’s a matter of urgency. He also confirmed changes to protect the QB and said on February 17, “The emphasis will be just refining many of the traits and skills to bring out the best in each guy. Yeah, there’s some definite areas that we’re going to target for improvement.” That promise seems to be the need of the hour for the Bengals.

For those of you who questioned his credentials, the coach has a football background as well. The Eagles drafted him in round 4 (124th overall) in 2002 but never played him. He only played 7 games in the NFL for the New York Giants in 2003. In 2009, Peters retired from the NFL and ventured into the realm of fighting.

He has also served as the Browns assistant O-line coach under Kevin Stefanski from 2020 to 2023. In the 2024 season, he worked with the Patriots as their offensive line coach under the first-time HC Jerod Mayo. This year, he will be at the Bengals.

Pro Football Network ranked the Bengals O-line 29th in the league. They ranked 15th in the overall pressure rate and 19th in the sack rate. So, the offensive line coach has an idea about where to start. The advantage is that most of their players are already signed through 2025. So, he can work on the combinations.

He is known to use martial arts techniques to improve his football skills. So, many former Bengals players are hoping the same thing.

Scott Peters gets stamp of approval from Bengals legend

In his avatar as a coach, he combined both football training with some fight techniques like a low hip position to generate power. It helped the Browns immensely as they jumped from a 6-10 record in 2019 to an 11-5 record in 2020. The Bengals would also expect the same thing.

One of his mentors, Jim McNally, Bengals O-line coach from 1980 to 1994 and consultant since 2012, lauded Scott Peters’s arrival at the franchise. He even made a bold statement, “Scott Peters will make the Bengals great again. Mark my words.” That’s a great sign of the resurgence.

Even the ESPN host, Mo Egger, stated, “I hear Scott Peters is really intense.” It’s a big stage for the O-line coach. The franchise has not qualified for the playoffs in the last two seasons. Can he take them over the line? The responsibility is huge. But the front office has shown trust in him.