The Chicago Bears' success in 2025 has led teams to look to pluck coaches from their staff. On Friday, the trend continued as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Baltimore Ravens are hiring Declan Doyle as their offensive coordinator.
This is the same title Doyle held with the Bears, but he will get to run the offense by joining forces with a defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter and the new-look Ravens. As for Chicago, this is the second loss they faced on the offensive staff, as Eric Bieniemy left to become the Chiefs' offensive coordinator.
There could be additional losses along the coaching staff, and Ben Johnson will have more on his plate after a successful 2025 season.
Ben Johnson Will Have More on His Plate for Bears
There was hope that Doyle would return after he withdrew his name from the Eagles' OC vacancy. Instead, Doyle wanted the chance to call plays. That's Johnson's role with Chicago, but Doyle had other responsibilities with this team.
This past season, he helped craft game plans and gave some insights on the scheme. Although he didn't play the shots, he provided them a great sounding board and a perspective that helped the offense. The same can be said about Bieniemy, as the Bears were third in the NFL in rushing offense (144.5).
That's a lot of knowledge that's no longer in the building, forcing Johnson to lean on other connections he has around the league to fill in those new voids. This is a tough hand that's been dealt, considering the calendar is set to turn to February, and many teams have already started filling their staffs, with many top offensive coordinators no longer available.
Tanner Engstrand is a name that has been floated around the Bears since he has a history with Johnson and was just fired after spending one season with the New York Jets.
Nonetheless, the Bears have their work cut out for them. Johnson showed the world that he's a high-quality head coach, but his success has already impacted Chicago. Losing coaches is a sign of your success, but it also makes things harder.
Chicago's offense made a ton of progress as the year went on, and you could tell the staff was in lock step. In 2026, the offensive staff will look different, and that means more will be on Johnson's plate to deliver.
He'll need to find a coach who is OK with the OC title but won't be playing the plays. That could be easier said than done, but with Doyle out the door, the search for the next offensive coordinator starts now.