The Chicago Bears have seen several coaches leave town this offseason after a successful 2025 campaign. Declan Doyle was the latest coach to pack up, as he was hired by the Baltimore Ravens to become their next offensive coordinator.
Even though it's the same title, Doyle will be the one calling the plays instead. Doyle and Eric Bieniemy's departures will put more on Ben Johnson's plate going forward. While Johnson has work to do on his staff, there's a silver lining on these exits and that benefits Antwaan Randle El.
Declan Doyle’s Exit Has Positive Impact on Antwaan Randle El
Considering that there will new chefs in the kitchen during the 2026 season, Johnson will lean on the guys that were apart of the success in 2025. And that's where Randle El comes in. He was one of the coaches that Johnson made sure to bring over to Chicago with him.
Randle El was with Johnson in Detroit, where he held the wide receivers coach title from 2021 to 2024. He was brought over with that same role but also got the assistant head coach title.
Randle El has the reputation of a coach with the ability to get the most out of his players but will hold them accountable when needed. When Johnson was hired, he emphasized the importance of Randle El's role when interviewing with Fox 32's Cassie Carlson.
Johnson said, "He's going to be charged with not only the receiver room but really the offense, and the entire team. That assistant head coach title, that means something to me, that means something to him. He's really going to spearhead our turnaround here in Halas Hall and it's going to show up on Sundays going forward."
As you can see, Johnson has a lot of love and faith in Randle El. These comments were made before the season even started and we see the success that this offense had. With more expected to be on Johnson's plate to start the offseason as he'll get the new coaches up to speed, the 46-year-old will also get more responsibilities. But that should ease the minds of Bears fans, as he's built for it.
Even prior to landing with the Bears, he played a massive role in the development of Lions WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Randle El also had his hands in the pot, as the Lions averaged a franchise-record 409.5 yards per game, as the team averaged a league-high 32.4 points per game in 2024 with Johnson calling the plays.
These two men have built a great rapport over the last few years. And with two losses on the offensive staff, Randle El will likely have a bigger role in 2026 and that's a great thing for Chicago's coaching staff.