Jan. 31, 2026, 9:42 a.m. CT
The Chicago Bears are seeking a new offensive coordinator after Declan Doyle was hired by the Baltimore Ravens.The new coordinator will not call plays but will work closely with head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams.Potential candidates include coaches with ties to Johnson, such as Tanner Engstrand and Hank Fraley.In-house options for the promotion include wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett.
The Chicago Bears are learning that, when you’re a good team, you’re going to lose members of your coaching staff to teams around the NFL. That includes offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who was just hired as the Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator after one year with head coach Ben Johnson.
Now, the Bears have a hole to fill at offensive coordinator, which has suddenly became an attractive job and one that could serve as a springboard for up-and-coming coaches. While Doyle didn’t call plays with Chicago — and the same will be true for the new OC — he worked closely with Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and the NFL’s third-best offense. And that will be an appealing thing for candidates looking pave their way.
Here are five candidates to replace Doyle as Bears offensive coordinator, including a couple of in-house and coaches with ties to Johnson.
Tanner Engstrand
This is probably the most obvious choice (outside of an internal promotion within the Bears) given the relationship between Ben Johnson and Tanner Engstrand and his recent dismissal from the New York Jets. Engstrand spent five years with the Detroit Lions, alongside Johnson, where he served as the passing game coordinator for three years. When then-Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was hired as the Jets head coach, Engstrand followed him to New York only to be fired after one season. But he didn’t have a lot to work with offensively, most notably quarterback, and he would be a nice addition to Johnson’s staff. Not to mention, this could serve as a launching pad to be hired as a play-calling offensive coordinator elsewhere even after a year (like Declan Doyle).
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There are several in-house options for the Bears at offensive coordinator, and it starts with wide receivers coach and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El, whose impact in one season has been impressive. Randle El has served as a receivers coach for the last five years, including for four seasons with the Lions alongside Johnson as offensive coordinator. If Randle El has offensive coordinator and head coach aspirations, a promotion to offensive coordinator (where he could learn from one of the league’s best) would be the perfect stepping stone.
Hank Fraley
As we’ve seen with Declan Doyle, serving as the Bears’ offensive coordinator (even without play-calling duties) is alluring to the rest of the NFL. For Hank Fraley, this could be an opportunity to stake his claim for a play-calling job elsewhere in the league. Like with Tanner Engstrand, Fraley has ties to Ben Johnson back with the Lions, where he served as offensive line coach. Last offseason, as Johnson was assembling his coaching staff, many believed Fraley would following Johnson to Chicago only for him to remain with Detroit. But that was for a lateral move as offensive line coach. Could the allure of an offensive coordinator job with Johnson would be enough to persuade him to jump ship and join Chicago?
J.T. Barrett
An under-the-radar, in-house candidate to replace Declan Doyle is Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, whose work with Caleb Williams last season was notable. Barrett has been with Ben Johnson for the last four years, going back to the Lions, and outside of Johnson, no one knows this offense better than Barrett. There’s also the familiarity with Williams, which would make a smooth transition from QB coach to OC. We’ve seen Johnson turn to a young, unknown name at offensive coordinator with Doyle, and he flourished. Could Barrett have a similar trajectory in Chicago?
Now, this is a long shot considering Davis Webb has interviewed for several head coach and offensive coordinator jobs this offseason, but it’s certainly a tantalizing option. Webb is currently the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator, but after the Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Webb is a top candidate to be promoted to replace him. While Webb, 31, to the Bears is a long shot, there’s no denying that he would be a great fit on Ben Johnson’s staff as an up-and-comer who could learn from one of the league’s best and work with Caleb Williams for a season before finding a job with play-calling duties elsewhere.