In recent years, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown has been more candid than usual in interviews.

This year’s pre-training camp media luncheon wasn’t any different, with Brown admitting the team needed to start winning back some of the fanbase.

Brown also detailed how the transition of power in the decision-making process has started to spread to others within the front office. Katie Blackburn (executive vice president), Troy Blackburn (vice president) and Paul Brown (vice president of player personnel) all have bigger roles in the process.

Brown explained the transition to Kareem Elgazzar of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

“My family now is included in these meetings. I sit there and get told what to do so I guess we’re making progress. I think it’s going well. With Katie, it’s true I’m still around and very happy to be around. I’m privileged to be the age I am, lucky to be doing what I’m doing, I’m aware of all that, I’m grateful… …part of getting old is you hand off the ball. And I have people I am handing the ball off to, Katie and Paul and Troy, that’s our team, our administrative team…I think we’re in good hands.

That administrative team, led by Brown’s daughter Katie, led the charge in hiring Zac Taylor away from the Los Angeles Rams after the Super Bowl.

This transition of power was always going to occur, with 2018 feeling like the final tipping point as the Marvin Lewis era faded. This new power structure within the team, alongside de-factor general manager Duke Tobin, now leads the Bengals into a new era starting with Taylor’s debut season.