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Tanner Engstrand has landed with the Falcons, despite being linked to a reunion with Ben Johnson on the Bears
The Chicago Bears took a big step forward in 2025, giving the team something to build off of this offseason. In his first year in charge of the team, head coach Ben Johnson drastically changed the Bears’ fortunes in the blink of an eye. But that success has made life more difficult for Johnson early this offseason when it comes to the makeup of his coaching staff.
Johnson has had several coaches poached from his staff, with the most recent being offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. That is a big position that Johnson needs to fill, and unsurprisingly, he’s begun searching for Doyle’s replacement. One of his top candidates was reportedly Tanner Engstrand, who had recently parted ways with the New York Jets, but he has landed a new job with the Atlanta Falcons instead.
Ben Johnson, Bears Miss Out on Tanner Engstrand
Last week, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn began completely gutting his coaching staff, and Engstrand ended up getting caught in the crossfire. After just one season with New York, the team opted to fire Engstrand in a surprising move, and he quickly had suitors lining up to hire him, with the Bears expected to be among that group.
Prior to landing with the Jets, Engstrand spent five seasons with the Detroit Lions in various offensive roles. Of course, during that time, he worked hand-in-hand with Johnson, who was the Lions’ offensive coordinator before finding his way to the Bears. With Engstrand out of a job and Johnson needing an offensive coordinator, it seemed logical to believe these two guys could reunite with each other.
Instead, the traction for such a move never really came to fruition. Engstrand was quickly recruited by the Falcons, even though they already have an offensive coordinator in Tommy Rees. With Atlanta, Engstrand will be working as its passing game coordinator, which officially put an end to Chicago’s hopes of bringing him to town.
“The Falcons are hiring Tanner Engstrand as offensive passing game coordinator, sources say,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “The former Jets OC had multiple options and has been a popular name in recent days. Engstrand will join coach Kevin Stefanski and the new offensive staff in Atlanta.”
Bears Still Looking for New Offensive Coordinator
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 04: Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears looks on in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on January 04, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Losing Doyle was a bit of a surprise for the Bears, and it has forced Johnson to begin searching for a new offensive coordinator, which he likely was not anticipating having to do this offseason. Missing out on Engstrand is another big blow, as his relationship with Johnson would have made him a top-notch candidate for the job.
That’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes, and with nobody else really standing out as a frontrunner for the job currently, Johnson is going to have to begin crafting a list of candidates to replace Doyle. As a result, it will be worth keeping tabs on this search over the next few days to see who pops up as Johnson’s top target.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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