Bear Digest

Why Bears Can Quickly Move to a New OC and Who's Out There for Hire

Analysis: The Bears are built to withstand losing an offensive coordinator, and as Declan Doyle goes to Baltimore here's a spit-balled list of potential candidates.
Gene Chamberlain|
Would the Bears consider former Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, a former Lions assistant, to replace Declan Doyle?
Would the Bears consider former Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, a former Lions assistant, to replace Declan Doyle? | John Jones-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears will be forced to deal with more change on their offensive coaching staff than they would like.

The hiring of Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle by the Baltimore Ravens for the same task but with play-calling duties will no doubt make for a challenge at Halas Hall.

It definitely won't come as a surprise, as coach Ben Johnson seemed to be bracing for this since back before the season ended.

“Declan has done a phenomenal job this year," Johnson said. "He's everything I thought he was going to be and some. He's got tremendous presence in front of the players, extremely smart. He's picked up the offense quickly throughout the spring and camp and has been able to augment it.

"We’ve got such a strong coaching staff, from the coordinators to position coaches, to some of these young coaches as well. They're going to continue to ascend, and I think the future's bright for a guy like Declan."

Such moves can be catastrophic for coaching staffs but the Bears have been designed to handle this since the decision to hire Johnson.

Here's why and also potential candiates.

1. Play-calling structure

Doyle is leaving so he can call plays. Johnson obviously does this for the Bears and doesn't need an offensive coordinator to do it.

What Doyle did was help organize the offense and the game plan during the week and then assist Johnson from the coaches box during games.

They'll need someone else doing this. Familiarity with Johnson and the offense couldn’t hurt.

It's not like when Johnson himself left Detroit after he had been the play caller and the coordinator. The Lions stumbled around and Dan Campbell had to take back play-calling duties after he lost Johnson.

It’s merely replacing the play-caller’s assistant.

2. QB relationship

Part of the underlying strength of the structure the Bears have is the Johnson-Caleb Williams relationship continues on and is not disrupted by the loss of an offensive coordinator because Johnson has that tight relationship with his QB on the sidelines as play caller.

The quarterback and his head coach are both on the same side of the football. They've become closer over the year.

"He certainly got more comfortable with the concepts that we were running over the course of the season," Johnson said. "That's something that we can build upon, and yet there's still a lot more that we can push through in that regard. And so, I'm really encouraged about the steps he took this year.

"I'm Caleb Williams' number one believer. I have a lot of faith in him, what he's capable of doing, and the player that he's still striving to become.”

Williams showed how important he thought his relationship with Johnson had become by giving him the game ball he'd been awarded after beating Green Bay in the playoffs.

"I'm happy to have him as my coach and what he's been able to do for me has been unparalleled," Williams said. "And so, I'm excited about that. I'm excited that we're going to be together. I'm excited about our future. I'm excited about getting back here with him and growing more than I did this year. And so, be able to have games and moments like this many times in our career.”

Doyle himself pointed to this QB-head coach relationship as so critical near season's end.

“I think the amount of time they spend together, the relationship that they've built, that's the most important thing," Doyle aid. "You need the play caller and the quarterback to be in sync, be able to think the same way. I think both of them have been very open to learning how each other operate and that takes time. There's no shortcut to that. There's nothing fake about that.

"That's them being in a room and talking through football. Part of it is Caleb being wide open to being trained to think like Ben thinks. Part of that is Ben figuring out 'How do I communicate to the quarterback in the best way for him to understand.' I think in any coach-player relationship, it's the same thing. You're trying to figure out how does this guy learn best and then how can I put him in positions to go out and have success. I think that's the biggest thing is they've spent a bunch of time together and you're starting to see that.”

3. Potential candidates

Because he's not looking for a play caller, there could be any number of candidates who are looking to gain experience or even some who already have it. Doyle had a reputation for precision and was a young up-and-comer. This could be the type they pursue again. Regardless, here are some possibilities.

  • One potential replacement could be Will Lawing, who had reportedly left Boston College to come to Johnson's staff. He was an offensive coordinator for Bill O'Brien two seasons at Boston College and earlier was an assistant with the Houston Texans under O'Brien. Lawing is Johnson's former teammate and good friend at North Carolina when both were players.
  • Former Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand is available. He was in Detroit from 2020-24 while Johnson was there and became the passing game coordinator while Johnson was offensive coordinator. With the Jets, Engstand was calling plays this season but apparently didn't satisfy Aaron Glenn's requirements and was let go. The Jets were 29th in scoring and yardage with Engstrand calling plays. How he might do as a coordinator who doesn't call plays isn't certain.
  • Press Taylor is on the Bears' staff already as passing game coordinator and is a former Jacksonville offensive coordinator.
  • Bears QB coach J.T. Barrett still probably is lacking in experience but so was Doyle at one point.
  • It's possible they would want to elevate Antwaan Randle El. He is receivers coach and assistant head coach for the Bears.
  • Scott Turner was the Jets passing game coordinator under Engstrand and is available. He was an offensive coordinator for the Commanders and Panthers and an interim offensive coordinator for the Raiders before working on the Jets' staff for the former Lions assistant.
  • John Morton was Johnson's replacement in Detroit and was fired by Campbell. He then was a consultant to the Broncos for the rest of this season after he'd been there on the staff with Declan Doyle under Sean Payton as passing game coordinator. He was on the Detroit staff as an offensive assistant for Johnson in his first year as Lions offensive coordinator.
  • Another name from the Dan Campbell-Detroit connection is Lions offensive line coach/run game coordinator Hank Fraley, and he has been a candidate for offensive coordinator jobs in the past. His close relationship with Campbell might preclude this, and he hasn't been a passing game coordinator.
  • Broncos passing game coordinator Davis Webb could be a natural for this job if he isn't signed elsewhere. He is in the running for Giants offensive coordinator now and interviewed for head coach with Baltimore and Buffalo. Webb seemed a natural replacement in Denver when the Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. But they haven't named him yet. He is out looking for a chance to be a play caller, so if he fails to get that and Denver doesn't name him offensive coordinator, then he could surface in Chicago. He replaced John Morton when Morton was passing game coordinator but went to Detroit. Webb has helped Bo Nix's development as QB coach under Payton.
  • Commanders passing-game coordinator Brian Johnson. He has coached QB Jalen Hurts with the Eagles and also Dak Prescott, and interviewed in Denver. If Webb gets the Denver OC job, he could be considered by the Bears.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.