Ben Johnson Makes His First Controversial Staff Hire

The past week has seen Ben Johnson methodically piece together his coaching staff. He's got all three coordinators in place, retaining Richard Hightower on special teams, adding Declan Doyler for the offensive, and Dennis Allen for the defense. J.T. Barrett (quarterbacks), Antwaan Randle El (wide receivers), and Al Harris (defensive backs) have also joined. Since then, things had gone quiet. That changed on Wednesday when reports surfaced that the Bears were hiring former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor as their new passing game coordinator.

This move is somewhat controversial. Taylor has a complicated legacy over the past few years. He broke into the NFL as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. He helped them win the Super Bowl in 2017, earning fame as the mastermind behind the now iconic "Philly Special" play that decided the game. However, as the team regressed over the next few seasons, Taylor drew criticism for the unexpected regression of quarterback Carson Wentz. Rather than fire him as ownership wanted, head coach Doug Pederson opted to leave.

Ben Johnson hired Taylor for specific reasons.

The young assistant resurfaced in Jacksonville as their new offensive coordinator under Pederson. In the next two seasons, they finished a respectable 10th and 13th in both yards and points scored. Trevor Lawrence made a Pro Bowl that first year. Unfortunately, things bottomed out this season. Taylor again drew lots of criticism for Lawrence's regression, and the coaching staff was fired. Now, he's coming to Chicago to help oversee the development of Caleb Williams. One could understand if that makes people nervous.

In reality, Ben Johnson didn't hire him to oversee the quarterback directly. That is his job. He will be the one calling plays on Sunday. It is likely the Bears head coach wanted somebody on his staff with a sharp, creative mind who could help craft plays on offense. That seems to be his great strength, as Philadelphia proved. It was also why Doyle was hired as offensive coordinator. Johnson wants young guys on his staff who are ready to brainstorm and do plenty of grunt work.