Bear Digest

Surprising Bears' coordinator named a potential head coaching candidate

Teams in need of a head coach may snag some talent from the suddenly successful Chicago Bears' offense.
Pete Martuneac|
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears gained several advantages when they hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, dubbed an 'organizational win' for the Bears, to be their head coach. For one, Johnson was the most sought-after candidate over the last two years, meaning they not only dominated the 2025 coaching hire but also dealt a major blow to the Lions. Second, because Johnson is the playcaller, they don’t have to worry about another team poaching him away to run their offense.

However, that doesn’t mean the Bears won’t produce desirable head coaching candidates in the coming years. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, for instance, is already gaining popularity around the league for his role in unlocking second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently published his list of 24 young candidates to know for the 2026 NFL head coach hiring cycle, including Declan Doyle.

Pelissero noted that at 29 years old, Doyle is “one of the youngest coordinators in modern NFL history”. His resumé may not be quite as stacked as others on Pelissero’s list, such as Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak or Rams’ offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, but he’s been around some of the NFL’s brightest minds.

Doyle worked as an assistant coach with Super Bowl XLIV champion Sean Payton for three years with the New Orleans Saints, then another two years for the Denver Broncos as Payton’s tight ends coach. Along the way, he crossed paths with Dan Campbell, who turned the hapless Lions into a juggernaut, and two current Bears coaches, Dan Roushar and Dennis Allen.

Now in Chicago, Doyle has been paired with an offensive head coach who is already regarded as being among the game’s very best. He may not be calling the plays in Chicago, but he is deeply involved in the scheme and in weekly preparations. The results on the field speak for themselves. The Bears’ offense produces 373.8 yards per game per ESPN, fourth-most in the NFL, and 25.8 points per game, eighth-most in the NFL. For reference, the Bears finished dead last and 28th, respectively, in these categories last season.

None of this is to say that the Bears will have to find themselves a new offensive coordinator next year. There is almost no chance that a franchise will turn the keys over to a 29-year-old with just one season of experience as a coordinator. But if the Bears continue to win in 2025, and if Williams continues to look more and more like the generational talent he was billed to be, Doyle will almost certainly get at least a handful of interviews come January.

Declan Doyl
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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