The Bears' Ben Johnson secured a huge, young hire via the Broncos.
The Chicago Bears under Ben Johnson are already not wasting time with filling out their coaching staff. Johnson has now reeled in his new offensive coordinator, poaching him from the Denver Broncos.
Johnson is tabbing Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle as his OC, per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Sunday. Doyle is a young hire too, as he's yet to celebrate his 30th birthday.
“A key hire for coach Ben Johnson, Doyle is a rising offensive mind. At just 28, he’s now an OC,” Rapoport said.
That's right, Doyle heads to Johnson and the Bears as a rare 28-year-old getting coordinator duties. But he spent 2024 working with Super Bowl winner Sean Payton. He's leaving Denver fresh off producing the team's first postseason run since the 2015 season — when the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.
Doyle is also the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Ditka. He's not the only major hire for Johnson.
Ben Johnson lures in decorated defensive coordinator to Bears
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Johnson no longer is taking applications or even interviewing for both coordinator spots. And that includes the defensive coordinator position.
The incoming Bears head coach tabbed Dennis Allen to run his first Bears defense. Rapoport also confirmed that hire on Sunday during the league's conference championship games.
“The favorite to join coach Ben Johnson’s staff since Johnson’s hire, Allen adds experience and a top-notch DC to Chicago,” Rapoport posted.
Allen struggled at his more recent stop the New Orleans Saints. He went 18-25 overall as the head coach but got fired during the regular season. Allen also endured an 8-28 mark with the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.
But Allen has garnered a strong reputation as a defensive coordinator. Three of his Saints defenses cracked the top 10 in yards allowed. He also produced the league's fifth and fourth-best scoring defenses in 2020 and 2021.
Allen now gets his chance to turn around a slumping Bears defense. Chicago ranked 27th in total defense this past season.
