Lewis won’t say he’s done with Bengals, despite report

MINNEAPOLIS » Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is not ready to concede the end of his secondlongest tenure in the league.

ESPN reported Sunday before the game at Minnesota, citing unnamed league sources, that the 59-year-old Lewis does not want to return to Cincinnati after his contract expires following a 15th season with the Bengals. Lewis steadfastly denied that in his postgame news conference after a 34-7 defeat by the Vikings , dismissing the story as recycled from the summer and irrelevant to the team’s second straight lackluster performance.

“It’s just speculation people keep throwing out there,” Lewis said. “We’re all wasting time talking about it.”

Only New England’s Bill Belichick, by three more years, has concurrently been with the same team longer than Lewis and the Bengals.

“I have not made any decisions about anything, I’ve told you how many times,” Lewis said.

With an 0-7 record for Lewis in the playoffs, speculation swirled at the start of the season that this could be his final year in Cincinnati. The Bengals (59) will miss the postseason for a second straight time, having lost their last two games by a combined 67-14.

“To change would hurt, but guys have enough professionalism to know with a new coach coming in, you pick up your jock straps, continue to practice and prove to the next coach that you can play,” wide receiver Brandon LaFell said.