The second youngest head coach (Ben Johnson, 38) is hiring the youngest offensive coordinator in football, scooping up 28-year-old Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle, per Tom Pelissero. Johnson now has all three lieutenants in place on the Chicago Bears‘ coaching staff.
Doyle is a rising star, having worked on Sean Payton’s offensive staffs since 2019. He started as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 2019 and stuck around on Dennis Allen’s offensive staff in 2022. In 2023, Doyle followed Payton to the Denver Broncos, where he served as the team’s tight ends coach.
Doyle having worked with Allen is a plus, given that Chicago reportedly hired the ex-Raiders and Saints head coach as their new defensive coordinator earlier on Sunday night. Johnson’s staff will also retain special teams coordinator Richard Hightower.
It’s a big career jump for Doyle, who has not been a playcaller in his young professional career. He also won’t have that responsibility in Chicago, either. That’s the perk of having Ben Johnson, who oversaw the No. 1 offense in EPA/play over the last three seasons in Detorit, as head coach.
Chicago has also reportedly hired former Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El to fill the same position with the Bears. Detroit’s assistant quarterbacks coach, J.T. Barrett, will follow Johnson and take on the role of quarterbacks coach.
