Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson reports that the Bengals have began to talk extension with Marvin Lewis. Why wouldn't they? They are coming off a year in which they swept the division and with Lewis' contract set expire following 2010 it would help remove any speculation that his job is jeopardy and likely go a long way towards Lewis maintaining control of the locker room.

While the team did finish 4-11-1 in 2008, you have to account for the fact that quarterback Carson Palmer missed most of the year due to injury.

He has now won two division titles in five years and just missed out on the playoffs during the other two seasons.

Lewis is just one of 10 coaches hired during the free-agency era of the NFL to spend at least eight years with the same team:

Jeff Fisher (Titans) - 17 seasons/3 division titles
Mike Shanahan (Broncos) - 14 seasons/3 division titles
Andy Reid (Eagles) - 12 seasons/5 division titles
Bill Belichick (Patriots) - 11 seasons/7 division titles
Mike Holmgren (Seahawks) - 10 seasons/5 division titles
John Fox (Panthers) - 9 seasons/2 division titles
Brian Billick (Ravens) - 9 seasons/2 division titles
Marvin Lewis (Bengals) - 8 seasons/2 division titles
Tom Coughlin (Jaguars) - 8 seasons/2 division titles                
Jack Del Rio (Jaguars) - 8 seasons/0 division titles

NFL cincinnati bengals, marvin lewis, afc north