NFC East powerhouse targeting key Bears assistant

The Chicago Bears may lose another beacon of head coach Ben Johnson’s staff. The Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday requested permission to interview Chicago offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for their vacant offensive coordinator position under head coach Nick Sirianni, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This comes after the Eagles fired Kevin Patullo following their 23-19 Wild Card Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Doyle spent the 2025 season as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, though Johnson retained play-calling duties. Under their collaboration, Chicago’s offense emerged as one of the league’s most improved units, finishing sixth in total points, third in total yards, sixth in total yards per game, tenth in passing yards, and clinching a No. 2 seed in the NFC. Quarterback Caleb Williams and running back D’Andre Swift both had career seasons. Rookie Kyle Monangai rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns.

Before joining the Bears, Doyle coached tight ends with the Denver Broncos (2023-2024) and assumed the role of offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints from 2019 to 2022. During his time with New Orleans, the team went 41-25 (.621), winning two NFC South titles and producing eight Pro Bowl selections across 12 total nods, giving Doyle exposure to high-level offensive schemes under Sean Payton. Johnson brought Doyle to Chicago in 2025, making him the youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL at the time.

Philadelphia’s interest in Doyle appears to be partly circumstantial. The Eagles initially looked to hire a proven play-caller, targeting names such as Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, and Zac Robinson. After those options became unavailable, the team expanded its search to rising coaching talent, including Doyle, despite his lack of previous play-calling experience. It’s quite a risky choice given the fact that Doyle has only one season as an NFL coordinator, and he did not call plays with the Bears. For Doyle, successfully running a star-studded Philadelphia offense featuring Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith could set him up for future head coaching opportunities.

Johnson has expressed support for his assistants advancing their careers, acknowledging in his end-of-season press conference that he is “all for it” when other teams seek to interview his staff. Doyle’s potential departure would follow running backs coach Eric Bieniemy’s move back to the Kansas City Chiefs as offensive coordinator.

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