Chicago Bears football staff: Who is leaving and who Ben Johnson is eying
The turnover from Matt Eberlus' final staff to Ben Johnson's first staff with the Chicago Bears is underway.
Here's the latest on the Chicago Bears staff turnover.
Ben Johnson continues to overhaul Bears staff
Johnson made some of his first staff decisions on Thursday, and made more Friday.
The Bears are not retaining nicklebacks coach David Overstreet, running backs coach Chad Morton or cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke, according to multiple reports. Hoke helped make Jaylon Johnson an NFL All-Pro cornerback; Overstreet helped develop Kyler Gordon into a standout nickelback.
This comes after the Bears have reportedly parted ways with defensive coordinator Eric Washington, offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Morgan, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, interim offensive coordinator Chris Beatty and interim head coach Thomas Brown.
There are still a few coaches that we're awaiting word on, like special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, tight ends coach Jim Dray, defensive line coach Travis Smith, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi and safeties coach Andre Curtis.
Hightower is considered an option to be retained as special teams coordinator, even with reports linking Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi to the Bears' special teams coordinator role.
Borgonzi, Curtis, Smith, Dray and Hightower all remain under contract with the Bears as of Friday afternoon.
Johnson submits defensive coordinator interview requests
Although ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen would be a top candidate for the Bears' defensive coordinator job, Johnson has also made two requests for his defensive coordinator hire.
The Bears have requested to interview Vikings defensive passing game Daronte Jones and Rams assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant for Johnson's defensive coordinator.
Jones has been coaching defensive backs in Minnesota since 2022, and Byron Murphy earned a 2024 Pro Bowl nod under Jones. Johnson and Jones were on the same staff as assistants in Miami.
Pleasant has been in the league 2013, starting as a coaching intern and working his way to cornerbacks coach in Los Angeles when the Rams earned a spot in Super Bowl LIII. Pleasant coached Marcus Peters, Troy Hill and Darious Williams that season, and they all had at least two interceptions.
Potential connections for Johnson's future staff
The Bears will have plenty of roles to fill.
Johnson said he wouldn't want to take too many Detroit Lions assistants with him to Chicago, because his offense in Chicago is going to look massively different than it did in Detroit.
Still, it's worth keeping tabs on coaches who connections with Johnson from his time in Miami and Detroit.
The biggest hire will be Johnson's offensive and defensive coordinators. It's been reported Hank Fraley, the Lions' offensive line coach, will not follow Johnson to Chicago.
Some names with connections to Johnson include Joe Philbin, Jeff Nixon and John Benton, who all worked with Johnson in his formative years in Miami. Philbin was most recently the interim offensive line coach for the Raiders. Nixon is currently the offensive coordinator for the Syracuse Orange. Benton was the offensive line coach in New Orleans this season.
Johnson has had time to think about who he'd want on his staff. That staff should come together sooner rather than later.