The Chicago Bears added upgrades to the offensive roster in March. The Bears are hoping that new talent combined with the genius of Ben Johnson’s offensive mind can unlock quarterback Caleb Williams’ potential and lead the team to their first playoff appearance since 2020.
With Johnson as offensive coordinator, the Detroit Lions led the league in points per game last season with 33.2 points per game. There was no debate entering the offseason that Johnson was the best offensive coordinator in the NFL.
But will he be an elite head coach?
Two NFL head coaches had warnings for Johnson and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle during the annual league meeting on Monday.
Ben Johnson cannot hide
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said that play-calling head coaches have a special target on their back.
“There is one place where you cannot hide in the National Football League,” McDaniel said, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “And that’s as a play-calling head coach. You cannot hide… The only way you can enter into the sphere as a play-calling head coach is if you are properly assisted. There is a merger, so to speak, of a couple different jobs. And you can’t do two jobs or you’ll be poor at both.
“To merge those, you have to have the support system within your coaching staff that enables you. What that boils down to is having people who can see the game how you see it or can anticipate how you will see it and are then willing to do a lot of front-end work so you can make your required decisions in a shorter amount of time.”
The Chicago Bears must rely on Declan Doyle
The most important coaching hire, and the most questionable, Johnson made this offseason was Doyle. At 29, Doyle had just years of experience as a positions coach in the league. He coached tight ends for Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos in 2023 and 2024, a position that didn’t exactly excel under Doyle.
Doyle rose the ranks quickly as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints. The Bears will count on Doyle to keep the fort on the offensive game planning while Johnson is busy with other head coaching responsibilities.
Offensive coordinators keep the train moving
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he relies on his offensive coordinators to keep him grounded during the week.
“(My offensive coordinators) have showed me a standard that I might not have been able to describe before I got here,” Taylor said. “But now that I’ve been through it, I can describe it thoroughly. They keep the train moving when I am being pulled away. So picture a train running and me running alongside of it to catch up and jump in. I need somebody who can catch me up to speed (quickly).”
While there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Bears this offseason, there should be a little patience given to the coaching staff in September. Johnson and Doyle will be figuring out how to do their new job on the fly.
As McDaniel and Taylor know, those jobs aren’t easy.
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Ben Johnson explains how Caleb Williams will star in Chicago Bears’ new offense
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