Frank Reich among several offensive coordinator candidates for the Chicago Bears

Good news, Chicago Bears fans: the Luke Getsy era is over. The Bears terminated the embattled offensive coordinator and virtually the entire offensive staff on Wednesday following a 2023 season that left much to be desired under Getsy’s watch.

Quarterback Justin Fields didn’t improve as the team had hoped, and the offense looked overmatched and underprepared on a near-weekly basis.

As often happens in the NFL this time of year, hope comes with change. And the hope that will come to Chicago via a new offensive coordinator will be very, very real.

Whether that new OC is calling plays for Justin Fields, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye remains the biggest offseason question facing general manager Ryan Poles, but for now, it’s exciting to know a fresh (and qualified) mind will be in charge.

The Chicago Bears have no shortage of candidates to choose from, too. Here are some of my top choices.

Frank Reich

Reich’s time as the Carolina Panthers head coach lasted less than one season, but I don’t hold that against him. I don’t think any head coach will succeed under the Panthers’ current ownership. However, he’s an established offensive mind who has a long history of success in the NFL. Reich is also buddies with Matt Eberflus, which will make communication between head coach and offensive coordinator more fluid and productive.

Eric Bienemy

Bienemy took a calculated risk and lost when he jumped from being the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator to the Washington Commanders. Still, there’s no denying Bienemy’s track record during his time with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Perhaps Bienemy’s time with the Chiefs will be held against him because of the failed Matt Nagy experiment, but his connection to Ryan Poles — they worked together for nine years in Kansas City — can’t be ignored.

Frank Smith

I have a feeling Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will eventually have his own “coaching tree,” so why not get ahead of the curve by hiring his offensive coordinator? No, Smith doesn’t call plays for the Dolphins, but he’s in the same room as McDaniels on a daily basis. Perhaps some of McDaniels’ brilliance has rubbed off on him. There’s only one way to find out.

Jerrod Johnson

CJ Stroud’s remarkable rookie season should result in the coaches connected to him getting a promotion. And the first in line should be quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson. There’s a chance Johnson will get bumped up to Houston’s offensive coordinator if the current OC, Bobby Slowik, lands his own head coaching gig. There’s also a chance he’ll follow Slowik wherever he ends up. But if the Bears can bring Johnson to Halas Hall, they must consider it seriously.

What do you think, Bears fans? Who should Chicago hire to be the next offensive coordinator? Sign up for a free account and let your voice be heard in the comments below. And if you want an ad-free experience on Bears Talk, level up to a premium account for just $3.49/mo ($29.99/yr). You’ll gain access to all of our engagement features and premium content, too. Bear Down!