The Chicago Bears are back in the market for an offensive coordinator after Declan Doyle made a surprise move to Baltimore. It’s a sudden shake-up, but that’s life in the NFL - just when you think you’ve got your staff locked in, the carousel starts spinning again.
Head coach Ben Johnson isn’t wasting time, already diving into the search for the next offensive mind to help shape Chicago’s offense. And a few intriguing names are already floating to the surface.
One of those is 30-year-old Connor Senger, who most recently served as Arizona’s passing game coordinator. He’s been turning heads, not just for his work in the desert but also for his contributions at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Young, innovative, and on the rise - Senger fits the mold of a modern offensive thinker. But there’s another name with a bit more NFL mileage that’s starting to gain traction: Kliff Kingsbury.
Kingsbury’s name enters the conversation following a surprising turn of events in Washington, where the Commanders parted ways with him just one season after he helped guide Jayden Daniels to a Rookie of the Year campaign and a trip to the NFC Championship. Despite that success, he’s now a coaching free agent - and potentially a very appealing one for a team like the Bears.
There’s no official connection yet between Kingsbury and Chicago, but the fit makes some sense. For starters, Kingsbury has history with Caleb Williams from their time together at USC.
That reunion would be hard to ignore, especially for a Bears team looking to maximize the potential of their young quarterback. Analyst Ted Nguyen even floated the idea, noting that while Kingsbury wouldn’t be calling plays under Johnson, the experience of working within a more traditional under-center offense could be a valuable next step in his coaching evolution.
And here’s where things get especially interesting: Kingsbury checks a lot of the same boxes that made Doyle attractive to Johnson in the first place. Johnson has shown a clear preference for creative minds - coaches who can bring new ideas to the table and help diversify the playbook.
Kingsbury, for all the ups and downs of his coaching career, has never lacked for imagination. His play designs are often as clever as they are effective.
In fact, the Bears borrowed one of his concepts for a critical touchdown against Green Bay in the Wild Card round - a misdirection gem that got tight end Luke wide open downfield.
But creativity isn’t the only thing Kingsbury brings to the table. Despite the narrative that he’s a pass-happy Air Raid guy - a label that stuck from his Texas Tech days with Patrick Mahomes - his track record as a run-game coordinator tells a different story.
In six seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator, his teams have finished in the top 10 in rushing five times. That’s not a fluke.
It’s a pattern.
Here’s the breakdown:
- 2019: 10th in rushing
- 2020: 7th
- 2021: 10th
- 2022: 22nd (a dip, but the outlier)
- 2024: 3rd
- 2025: 4th
That kind of consistency on the ground would likely appeal to Johnson, who has made it clear he wants the Bears to be a physical, run-first team that can also stretch the field when needed. Kingsbury’s ability to blend creative passing concepts with a strong commitment to the run game could be exactly what Chicago is looking for.
The one potential sticking point? Play-calling.
Kingsbury has never held a coordinator role without being the one with the headset on Sundays. But back in 2023, he served as USC’s passing game coordinator - not the primary play-caller - and by all accounts, he thrived in that role while helping Williams elevate his game.
If he’s open to taking on a similar position in Chicago, it could be a win-win.
For Kingsbury, it’s a chance to stay in the spotlight, work with a quarterback he knows well, and rebuild his resume in a system that values his strengths. For the Bears, it’s an opportunity to inject more innovation into their offense while continuing to build around a young quarterback with superstar potential.
No deal is done, and there’s no guarantee Kingsbury ends up in Chicago. But if the Bears are serious about surrounding Caleb Williams with the best possible minds - and if Kingsbury is open to a collaborative role - this could be a pairing that benefits both sides in a big way.