Top Potential Bears OC Pairings for Justin Fields, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye
The Chicago Bears are giving head coach Matt Eberflus at least one more shot in 2024, but that doesn't mean they aren't shaking things up.
On Wednesday, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as well as quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, running backs coach Omar Young and assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts.
Still to be determined is whether quarterback Justin Fields will remain on the roster, let alone in the QB1 spot. Chicago holds the top pick in April's draft and could select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in the hope that they will become the next great signal-caller in the Windy City.
Getsy and Janocko were essentially the top two managers of the offense with Fields at the helm. Their replacements will face a tremendous onus regardless of whether they'll be working with Fields, Williams, Maye, or a combination of the three.
With that in mind, let's speculate on which offensive minds could do the best job with the quarterback situation—and the offensive situation in general—in Chicago.
The Cream of the Crop
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Darrell Bevell, Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator
The veteran offensive mind played a huge role in turning Russell Wilson into a star in Seattle and has worked more of his magic with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. The resume speaks for itself.
Eric Bieniemy, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Things didn't go great for the Commanders in 2023, but it's not as though Bieniemy had a lot with which to work. His results in Kansas City speak for themselves, and it was hard to ignore what happened to the Chiefs offense without him this season.
If he doesn't land a head-coaching gig in D.C. or elsewhere, a move to run the Chicago offense ahead of a potential lame-duck season for Eberflus makes sense.
Kliff Kingsbury, USC senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach
It doesn't get much more obvious than this, especially if the Bears decide to trade Fields and take Williams at No. 1. Kingsbury is a well-established offensive mind with a strong resume, and he coached Williams this past season at USC.
Kellen Moore, Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator
This is a lateral move that Moore wouldn't likely make on his own. But if Moore doesn't land the head-coaching spot left vacant by Brandon Staley, he could find himself out of a gig in L.A. entirely.
This would be an absolute coup for Chicago.
Shane Waldron, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
Following Pete Carroll's departure from the head coaching role in Seattle, the Bears have already reached out to Waldron, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. He is currently Seattle's offensive coordinator and has been a disciple of both Carroll and Sean McVay.
Waldron worked wonders with Geno Smith over the past two years.
Intriguing Retreads
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Pep Hamilton, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator
The extremely experienced Hamilton had his hands on both Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert early in their respective careers and has worked well with athletic quarterbacks. He also interviewed for this job two years ago and has served on the Chicago coaching staff in the past.
Frank Reich, former Carolina Panthers head coach
Reich won't likely be considered in head-coaching circles for some time after being fired in back-to-back years by the Colts and Panthers, but he's worked with Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz (during his short prime) and Andrew Luck. It would be fun to see him attempt to work his magic with Williams or Maye in particular.
Eberflus and Reich spent several seasons together in Indianapolis.
Retreads That Come with Risk
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Marcus Brady, Philadelphia Eagles senior offensive assistant
A Reich disciple who had some success as an offensive coordinator in Indy and has now worked with Jalen Hurts in Philly, Brady can't be ruled out. He also worked with Eberflus in Indy.
Ken Dorsey, former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Dorsey was fired this season by the Bills, but there's no questioning the progress Josh Allen made throughout his four-and-a-half-year tenure in Buffalo. Things became stale there, but the 42-year-old arguably deserves another shot in a new setting.
Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator
You have to love those Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay roots and wonder if the 36-year-old is ready to break out from McVay's shadow. The only issue is how badly things went for him with Zach Wilson and the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022.
Josh McDaniels, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach
McDaniels' head-coaching stints haven't panned out, but there's no denying his success as an offensive coordinator in New England. Before McDaniels withdrew his acceptance of the Colts head-coaching job in 2018, Eberflus was brought in to run Indy's defense.
Greg Roman, former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Roman's been doing this at the NFL level for nearly three decades. Most recently, he helped bring Lamar Jackson along in Baltimore. That has to count for a lot, especially if the Bears keep Fields.
Arthur Smith, former Atlanta Falcons head coach
The recently fired 41-year-old was a lauded play-caller in Tennessee a few years ago. With that said, nobody's ever called him a quarterback guru.
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Potential Diamonds in the Rough That of Course Pose Risks as Well
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Ryan Grubb, Washington Huskies offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Did you see what the Washington offense did this season? Imagine the Bears trading down and pairing Grubb with Michael Penix Jr.
Jerrod Johnson, Houston Texans quarterbacks coach
The 35-year-old worked closely with C.J. Stroud during his phenomenal rookie season in 2023 and could be ready for bigger things.
Klint Kubiak, San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator
Kubiak has been around for a while, but he doesn't have play-calling experience. Still, there's been a lot of buzz about the guy, and he clearly did some good work with both Kirk Cousins in Minnesota and Brock Purdy in San Francisco.
Tee Martin, Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach
While Greg Roman helped Jackson develop in Baltimore, Martin appeared to make a ton of progress while working under Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023. This would be a high-risk/high reward gamble, particularly if the Bears were to keep Fields and load up his arsenal.
Kevin Patullo, Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator
The Bears interviewed Patullo for this exact job two years ago. He certainly deserves praise for what we've seen from Jalen Hurts over the last two seasons. However, Patullo doesn't have a huge sample size of success, and he hasn't called plays while working with a multitude of established and well-reputed offensive minds on the Philly staff.
Zac Robinson, Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Another McVay disciple on the rise, it's worth noting that the 37-year-old survived somewhat of a cull within that coaching staff last offseason.
Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator
Smith is enjoying a lot of success as Mike McDaniel's offensive coordinator in Miami, so there's a chance he doesn't even consider a move. Still, this wouldn't be lateral, as he'd have a chance to call plays for the first time.
The fear of the unknown could be a factor for both sides here, but it's worth consideration.
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