The Chicago Bears have officially kicked their offensive coordinator search into high gear. After a few quiet days following Declan Doyle’s move to Baltimore, head coach Ben Johnson is starting to cast a wide net - and the latest name to emerge is a compelling one: Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters.
Walters has been part of Zac Taylor’s staff in Cincinnati since 2020, initially joining as the assistant wide receivers coach before earning a promotion to the lead role in 2021. During that time, he’s had a front-row seat to the rise of one of the league’s most explosive receiver duos in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. That kind of hands-on development experience doesn’t go unnoticed - especially for a Bears team that’s looking to build a young, dynamic offense from the ground up.
What separates Walters from some of the other names in the mix, like Arizona Cardinals pass game specialist Connor Senger, is his prior experience calling plays. While he hasn’t held an OC title in the NFL, Walters did serve as the offensive coordinator at both UCF and Nebraska.
That’s four years of running the show at the college level, and it’s not just about designing plays - it’s about managing game flow, making adjustments on the fly, and tailoring schemes to your personnel. Walters has done that before, and that gives him a leg up in this process.
It’s also worth noting the possible synergy between Walters and the Bears’ young receiving corps. With promising talents like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden in the building, the idea of pairing them with a coach who helped mold Chase and Higgins into stars is intriguing. Walters knows how to get the most out of young receivers, and that could be a major asset for a team trying to build long-term offensive continuity.
Ben Johnson, still early in his tenure as head coach, seems to be prioritizing creativity and developmental upside in his coordinator search. Declan Doyle fit that mold - young, innovative, and ready to take on more responsibility - and while Walters brings a different résumé, the same themes apply.
He’s been around elite talent, helped shape it, and has experience leading an offense. That’s the kind of blend that could appeal to a coach looking to establish a strong foundation.
The Bears aren’t done yet. Walters is just one of several candidates expected to be interviewed as the team ramps up its search. But it’s clear the Bears are being deliberate, looking not just for a play-caller, but for someone who can help shape the identity of an offense that’s still finding its way.
There’s no timeline yet for a final decision, but this latest development signals a more aggressive phase in the search. And if Walters is ultimately the choice, it’ll be because the Bears believe he can help unlock the full potential of their young offensive core.