With Declan Doyle leaving to call plays for the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears will need to find a new offensive coordinator.
The Bears can promote from within, or they can look for someone from the outside Johnson trusts to help run his offense. Doyle is the second coach on Johnson’s staff to get hired elsewhere, following former RBs coach Eric Bieniemy’s departure.
One outside name to keep an eye on might be Hank Fraley, the current offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
Fraley has been part of Detroit’s staff since 2018, where he worked alongside Johnson for six seasons. Could their shared background lead to Johnson hiring Fraley away from Detroit? It’s certainly possible. Let’s discuss.
Ben Johnson Connection Makes Lions Assistant Hank Fraley a Strong Candidate for Next Chicago Bears OC
GettyBen Johnson could try to steal current Detroit Lions OL coach hank Fraley to be the next OC for the Chicago Bears.
Because he already calls the plays, Johnson won’t need Fraley to run the offense. What the Bears need is someone with Doyle’s organizational skills who can help with weekly game planning. They will also need an OC who can manage the run game and keep the offensive line and pass protections in sync to better support quarterback Caleb Williams. Fraley has done much of that in Detroit.
“As we’ve seen with Declan Doyle, serving as the Bears’ offensive coordinator (even without play-calling duties) is alluring to the rest of the NFL,” Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today’s Bears Wire wrote on January 31. “For Hank Fraley, this could be an opportunity to stake his claim for a play-calling job elsewhere in the league.”
“Last offseason, as Johnson was assembling his coaching staff, many believed Fraley would following Johnson to Chicago only for him to remain with Detroit,” Barbieri added. “But that was for a lateral move as offensive line coach. Could the allure of an offensive coordinator job with Johnson would be enough to persuade him to jump ship and join Chicago?”
Could Fraley having no experience as a playcaller actually help him here? It might. If he went to Chicago, Fraley could handle the operational side of things and still get a promotion while pretty much leaving Johnson’s offense exactly the same.
Here’s closer a look at Fraley’s coaching experience:
- University of San Diego — offensive line coach (2012)
- San Jose State — offensive line coach (2013)
- Minnesota Vikings — assistant offensive line coach (2014–2016)
- UCLA — offensive line coach (2017)
- Detroit Lions — assistant offensive line coach (2018–2019)
- Detroit Lions — offensive line coach (2020–2024)
- Detroit Lions — offensive line coach / run game coordinator (2025–present)
Other Potential Candidates for Next Bears OC
There are also candidates with Detroit ties other than Fraley. Current Lions receivers coach Scottie Montgomery was part of the Lions’ offensive staff during Johnson’s rise and could be one outside option. Former Jets OC Tanner Engstrand was also mentioned as a possibility, but he just took a job down in Atlanta.
The Bears will also consider internal options.
Quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett has worked closely with the offense every week, and pass game coordinator Press Taylor has coordinator experience elsewhere and already knows the system. Either would make sense, as would current Bears WRs coach Antwaan Randle El.
An internal hire is the most likely scenario, but don’t be surprised if Johnson nabs someone like Fraley. It’s a hire that would be a huge get for Chicago, and it would also weaken a divisional opponent in the Lions. Stay tuned.
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