Bear Digest

Ben Johnson Just Lost a Big Name on His Coaching Staff

The Chicago Bears head coach now has a big staffing decision to make this offseason.
Pete Martuneac|
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Not one hour ago, I cautioned Chicago Bears fans that offensive coordinator Declan Doyle may already have one foot out the door in Chicago, and that proved to be exactly the case. According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens are hiring the 29 year old Declan Doyle as their new offensive coordinator under head coach Jesse Minter. Because this role will come with play-calling duties that he doesn't have in Chicago, the Bears are unable to block Doyle from leaving.

This is a significant blow to head coach Ben Johnson's staff, even considering Doyle's relative inexperience at the coordinator's job. Johnson may have been the playcaller and the architect of this offense, but Doyle was the one who set the table every week, so to speak. Doyle played a significant role on this offense and was a driving force behind quarterback Caleb Williams' breakout season. His presence will be missed.

A possible successor to offensive coordinator is already in the building

Now comes the next big test for Johnson to prove that he can not only lead an offense, but also lead a team as the head coach. With Doyle's departure, he must hire a new offensive coordinator and keep the momentum from 2025 going into 2026 and beyond. This is no easy task. Johnson took a big risk on hiring Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator last year, and it paid off big time. Can Johnson pull a rabbit out of the hat twice?

Not only do I think he can do it. I believe that the answer is already at Halas Hall: quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett. Barrett spent three years in Detroit with Ben Johnson and followed him to Chicago. Like Doyle, he played a role in Caleb Williams' resurgence in 2025 and is intimately familiar with Ben Johnson's offense.

This would be another shot in the dark for Johnson. Like Doyle, Barrett is young and inexperienced in the NFL. But I like that he's been essentially tied to the hip with Johnson for the last four years. If the Bears want to make a seamless transition from Doyle to the next offensive coordinator, I think this would be the right move.

But I'm not the head coach. We'll see what Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have up their sleeves over the coming weeks.

Ben Johnso
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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