The idea is going mainstream.

We’ve beat the drum as a warning for Cincinnati Bengals fans for months now, pointing out that Hue Jackson returning increases the chances he takes over as head coach when Marvin Lewis retires or moves upward.

Now NFL expert Bucky Brooks thinks the idea has legs, too:

🎧🏈 INSIDE THE HUDDLE 🏈🎧 Look away Bengals fans… 🙈🙈🙈 @BuckyBrooks thinks it's lined up for Hue Jackson to be the new head coach. You've heard it here first! 😉 Listen to podcast here 👉 https://t.co/eiyQLBazSp pic.twitter.com/2lGbjhWoGs — Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) December 8, 2018

“Hue Jackson will be the next coach. That’s why they brought him over. So he can get an early jump on putting together his plan…This is all part of the succession plan. Marvin goes upstairs. Hue takes over.”

It’s not hard to see this happening despite Jackson going 3-36-1 as head coach in Cleveland.

After all, Jackson, Lewis and Bengals owner Mike Brown touched on a succession plan in a meeting before Jackson left to coach the Browns. He has since returned as a “special assistant to the head coach” and Jackson’s agent has confirmed he thought he’d be the next Bengals coach instead of taking the Browns job.

This all hinges on Lewis, who reportedly will get to decide his own fate this offseason.

Buckle in, Bengals fans.