Looking over the Chicago Bears coaching staff, it’s safe to say most of their work is complete. Matt Nagy has done a hell of a job for the most part at reconstructing it. He retained defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He lured highly-respected offensive line coach Harry Hiestand away from Notre Dame. Last but not least he plucked free agent and former Oregon mastermind Mark Helfrich as offensive coordinator.
A few vacancies still remain though. Easily the most important is their quarterbacks coach. The news are it has been somewhat erratic the past few days. Initially there was belief the team would just retain Dave Ragone in that role. That however changed when word came out there were making a push to get Pat O’Hara from the Texans.
Since then? Nothing. It appears the job remains open and thus far the Bears haven’t made any strong pursuits since. One curiosity that remains is why they haven’t been more active in their attempts to grab what is arguably the best quarterbacks coach on the entire market.
Todd Downing would look great on Chicago Bears coaching staff
It’s no secret that the stock is down right now on Todd Downing. Much of that is due to the disastrous year he had as offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. In his first year ever holding the job he took a group that ranked 6th the season before to 17th. It wasn’t the ideal audition he’d been hoping for. Especially after several years of outstanding work as a quarterbacks coach.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Downing burst onto the scene back in 2011. His first year as a QB coach Matthew Stafford threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011. Both remain career highs for the Detroit Lions Pro Bowler. Derek Carr also had his best season as a pro with him in this role two years ago.
Downing is 37-years old and still one of the bright, young coaches in the league. His failure as an offensive coordinator doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a terrible coach. It just meant he wasn’t ready. He’s already proven multiple times that he can be great for the accelerated development of a young quarterback. Mitch Trubisky would benefit in so many ways from his help.
It’s surprising the Bears haven’t moved on him already since Nagy and he went head-to-head for three years in the AFC West. This is a phone call that should really be considered.
