The winds of change are already sweeping through Halas Hall, and Ben Johnson’s warning from last offseason is proving prophetic: the 2026 Chicago Bears won’t look much like the 2025 version. That transformation is starting with the coaching staff.
Eric Bieniemy, who played a key role in reshaping the Bears’ run game this past season, is heading back to familiar territory. He’s accepted the offensive coordinator job with the Kansas City Chiefs-a role he held with great success from 2018 to 2022.
For Chicago, that’s a notable loss, both from a leadership and experience standpoint. But the Bears aren’t wasting time filling the void.
Enter Will Lawing.
Lawing, who’s spent the last two seasons as Boston College’s offensive coordinator under Bill O’Brien, is set to join Johnson’s staff in an as-yet-unspecified role. His résumé includes stints with New England, Alabama, and Houston, with much of his work focused on tight ends. He also has a personal connection to Johnson-they were teammates at North Carolina-which adds an interesting wrinkle to the hire.
O’Brien, speaking to reporters at Boston College, confirmed Lawing’s departure and offered a glimpse into the move.
“He’s been with me for a long time-he’d describe that as dog years,” O’Brien joked. “But he had a great opportunity to go work for Ben.
He went to North Carolina with Ben, and obviously the Bears are doing a great job. So we wish him the best.”
What’s unclear is exactly what role Lawing will fill in Chicago. The only confirmed opening on the offensive staff is running backs coach, but Lawing’s background suggests he could slot in elsewhere-perhaps as an assistant tight ends coach under Jim Dray or in a more flexible offensive assistant role. There’s also some chatter that wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El could be on the move for a promotion elsewhere, which could open another door.
Wherever Lawing lands, he brings some legitimate credentials. In 2023, he helped tight end Hunter Henry put together a productive campaign in New England despite instability at quarterback.
Go back to 2019 in Houston, and you’ll find Darren Fells catching seven touchdowns under Lawing’s guidance. While his two-year run at Boston College had its ups and downs-2024 featured a solid ground game and steady quarterback play, but the offense regressed in 2025 after key personnel losses-he’s shown he can develop talent when the pieces are in place.
If this move is about helping mold young tight end Colston Loveland, the Bears could do a lot worse. Lawing’s track record suggests he knows how to get production out of the position, even in less-than-ideal situations.
That said, this hire marks a bit of a shift in philosophy for Johnson. When he took the Bears’ head coaching job, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in simply hiring friends.
This one, however, leans into familiarity. Lawing and Johnson go way back, and that connection likely played a role here.
Now, how significant Lawing’s role becomes is the real question. If he’s simply filling a positional assistant role, it’s a solid addition with upside. But if he’s being looked at as a replacement for Bieniemy, that’s a much bigger leap-and one that would raise eyebrows considering the number of proven offensive minds available this offseason.
We should know more in the coming days. But one thing’s already clear: Ben Johnson isn’t afraid to shake things up. And with the Bears entering a pivotal offseason, every hire matters.