Future Hall Of Famer Admits Declan Doyle Was A Great Hire By Bears

Ben Johnson has pulled some fascinating names as he continues piecing together his coaching staff for next season. The Chicago Bears head coach has taken a clear approach to the offensive side, favoring a youth movement. Nobody exemplifies this more than Declan Doyle, their new offensive coordinator. He comes over from the Denver Broncos, having served the past two years as tight ends coach. Doyle has only been in the NFL for six seasons, making the move somewhat confusing. Many had felt Johnson could benefit from somebody more experienced.

Others around the league aren't surprised. Doyle has quickly earned a reputation for being a football genius, showcasing intelligence and hard work in identifying where players can improve and how to exploit opposing defenses. One person who knows this better than anybody is Sean Payton. The future Hall of Fame head coach has employed Doyle for all six of his NFL seasons. He admitted to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that the Bears are getting a good one.

Basically a mad scientist.

“Declan is one of those guys that was extremely professional and yet was super smart and therefore super tactful. In other words, he knew the timing of when to interject and maybe when not to as a young coach.”

Quality control coaches will have tells early on if they’re cut out for the business. The jobs are grueling — long hours with lots of demands — and Doyle impressed.

“It happened early,” Payton said. “You observe work ethic and you observe attention to detail. He’d jot me a note at the end of the season. It wasn’t like in any way, shape or form overkill. It was really timely. Tip sheets at the end of each week with the reports and reminders for the tight ends that he would put on my desk. He had great insight and I valued his opinion when we got into the installation meetings. This was from a first-year coach.”

“You need a combination on your staff,” he said. “Some guys are riveters, some guys are glue guys, some guys are scientists, you know. Declan is one of those scientists. He’s smart. So he would have good scheme ideas that I valued and not everyone has to. You have to have a staff that is mixed up that way. But I would say almost like a machine. I wouldn’t say quiet. Very focused on his players. Very intelligent.

Declan Doyle is in a perfect position to grow.

Many young coaches are often thrown into the offensive coordinator role before they're ready. They can't handle the dual responsibilities of organizing the unit, preparing game plans, and then calling plays every Sunday. That won't be an issue for Doyle. He is free to organize, brainstorm, motivate, and then let Johnson handle the play calling every week. It takes enough off his plate to ensure he doesn't get overwhelmed while giving him a taste of increased responsibilities.

Several people are convinced Declan Doyle will soon become a head coach. Chicago aims to exploit his gifts along the way, which is never a bad thing. It worked in their favor with Buddy Ryan and Ron Rivera in years past. If the Bears offense takes a major step forward next season, one can imagine the buzz around him will pick up with significant speed.