Who should be the next offensive coordinator for the Bears?

On Wednesday, the Chicago Bears announced that they had fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, along with several members of the offensive coaching staff. The only offensive coaches they retained were offensive line coach Chris Morgan and tight ends coach Jim Dray, arguably the only position groups on offense that performed above expectations.

This was a development that many saw coming. Despite the disdain for head coach Matt Eberflus from much of the fanbase, it was widely expected that he would be back in 2024, but after a disappointing 2023 season, someone had to be the sacrificial lamb, and that was Getsy.

The Bears will now be in the market for a new play-caller on offense, so let’s look at some potential candidates that I think would positively impact this team.

Shane Waldron

Ironically, the Bears already requested an interview with Waldron, currently the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. Waldron was my favorite candidate for the head coaching job if the Bears had fired Eberflus, so he’s far and away my top target for offensive coordinator.

He’s from the Sean McVay coaching tree, a popular place to pluck coaches from. He’s been a playcaller for three years now, so he has good experience there, unlike Getsy, who was calling plays for the first time with the Bears. Most importantly, he took a career journeyman at quarterback — Geno Smith — and turned him into a fringe Top 10 player at his position.

That can’t be ignored. While Smith and Seattle’s offense regressed a bit in 2023, I attribute that more to Smith’s injuries and his limitations as a passer (he wasn’t a career journeyman for no reason) than any deficiencies in Waldron’s coaching.

This would be a home run hire and a shot in the arm for the fanbase, and possibly the most realistic.

Ben Johnson

Arguably the hottest name in the coaching market this offseason is Detroit’s offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. The Lions are playing some of their best football in years right now, giving every coach and coordinator on the team a golden sheen, and deservedly so.

Johnson’s been with Detroit since 2019, first as an offensive quality control coach, then a tight ends coach and passing game coordinator, before getting promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022.

Like Waldron, Johnson is credited with reviving the career of a veteran quarterback that many had written off. He has played a big part in turning what was the laughingstock of the NFC North into division champs and fringe contenders for a Super Bowl title.

I’d like this hire, but I don’t think it’s realistic. Johnson will have plenty of head coaching offers coming his way, and a lateral move to the Bears wouldn’t make much sense unless he’s deeply tempted by the prospect of either working with Justin Fields or the top quarterback of the 2024 draft.

Bobby Slowik

Have you noticed a trend here? If the Bears are smart, they’re going to zero in on offensive coordinators with playcalling experience who have successfully either turned around a languishing quarterback career or developed a rookie quarterback into a stud. That’s what you get with Slowik.

Don’t let recency bias fool you. The Texans were supposed to be absolute garbage this year. In pre-season draft rankings, it was assumed the Cardinals, who own the Texans’ first-round pick in 2024, could end up with both the first and second overall picks. Instead, Houston won their division handily and are now in the playoffs.

The only potential drawback I see to Slowik is the lack of experience compared to Johnson and Waldron. Last season was his first year as an offensive coordinator and play-caller, so he could be a flash in the pan. We also don’t know how much of the credit for Houston’s success in 2023 to attribute to quarterback CJ Stroud. In other words, was Stroud destined for immediate greatness regardless of who coached him, or is his success the product of an offensive guru and genius?

I also don’t see Slowik leaving Houston this year. He may want at least another year of experience before risking his name and reputation in a new city. Right now, he’s experiencing success. He might as well ride that out a little bit longer.

Kliff Kingsbury

No, I’m not joking. Kingsburg was unceremoniously booted from Arizona a year ago. Still, just because he didn’t pan out as a head coach doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be considered as an offensive coordinator. He did get some solid play out of Kyler Murray, who earned two Pro Bowl bids under Kingsbury in Arizona.

Most importantly, he spent the last year as the quarterback coach and senior offensive analyst of the USC Trojans, working closely with quarterback Caleb Williams. It’s almost universally assumed that Williams will be drafted first overall in 2024, either to Chicago or whoever they trade the pick to.

So if the Bears draft Caleb Williams to be the quarterback of their future, it would make sense to bring along one of his coaches from USC, who also happens to have NFL experience.

What do you think, Bears fans? Who should be the next offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears? Create your free user account and comment! And if you’d like an ad-free experience on Bears Talk, consider upgrading to a premium account. It’s just $3.49 per month (or better yet, $29.99 per year.) You’ll unlock our exclusive NFL Draft content, too. Bear Down!