Will the Bears Be Affected by Coaching Changes?
The Chicago Bears ended the 2025–26 season with a heartbreaking Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In a year that saw the Bears win the division, earn the second seed, and defeat their rival Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, the season still marked a major success in the early stages of head coach Ben Johnson’s tenure. Many fans expected the team to reach this level much later, given how deeply rooted the losing culture had been in Chicago. Instead, behind the leadership of quarterback Caleb Williams and a reenergized locker room, the Bears took the Windy City on a magical run that offered a glimpse of what the next decade could look like under their new head coach. Unfortunately, sometimes winning too quickly can create challenges of its own for a coaching staff.
The Bears have already felt the effects of that success. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle departed for the Baltimore Ravens after just one season in Chicago. Doyle played a major role in the Bears’ offensive growth, and his work quickly caught the attention of teams across the league. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy also moved on, accepting a promotion to become the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Given how strong Chicago’s run game looked this season, that loss stings as well. In addition, assistant general manager Ian Cunningham accepted a position with the Atlanta Falcons as their new general manager. While losing multiple members of the staff in one offseason can leave a sour taste, it is not a fatal blow to the organization.
Despite Doyle’s success, he was not the primary play caller. Ben Johnson handled offensive play calling throughout the season, which softens the impact of losing the coordinator. Replacing the running backs coach should not be overly difficult either, as D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai form an appealing duo for any coach looking to step into that role. Losing their assistant general manager as well hurts, but general manager Ryan Poles has shown himself to be capable of doing a good job and should be able to find a replacement fast. While these departures are far from ideal after just one season, but Chicago will be more than capable of gaining replacements and being even better next season. With the offseason still in its early stages, more coaching staff changes may follow, but the Bears appear prepared to handle them.
