Bears make questionable OC decision for Ben Johnson with brother of Bengals' Zac Taylor

The Chicago Bears finally turned the corner as a franchise, and made the playoffs with the NFC North title, won a playoff game, and finally saw a quarterback develop in a major way.

Ben Johnson has been transformational for the franchise, and things are finally starting to look up. But that progress led to offensive coordinator Declan Doyle being poached by the Baltimore Ravens, leaving the Bears with a hole at offensive coordinator.

To fill that hole, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bears are promoting brother of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, in passing game coordinator Press Taylor, to offensive coordinator. This might not be the best choice for the Bears.

Bears make questionable OC decision with Press Taylor

"The Bears are promoting passing game coordinator Press Taylor to offensive coordinator, giving Ben Johnson a new top lieutenant, per The Insiders," Rapoport reports.

Taylor is an experienced coach in the NFL, and most recently was the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was also an offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Bears last year.

While his experience around the league is appealing, and keeping some continuity with the offense for Caleb Williams isn't a bad idea, this promotion carries some big risks.

Taylor, during both his Jaguars and Eagles stints, was a big reason why the head coach was fired. Doug Pederson was fired by the Eagles and the Jaguars, thanks in part to his loyalty to Taylor.

More: Declan Doyle rumor reveals why ex-Bears OC left for Ravens and it's bad look for Eagles

Especially in Philadelphia, the Eagles wanted Pederson to move on from Taylor as the offensive coordinator, but he didn't, eventually leading to both being fired.

While that is a concerning factor with this hire, Bears fans can rest a bit easier knowing that Taylor won't be calling plays. This is Johnson's offense, and his say is what matters most for the Bears.

Taylor might not be the most exciting hire, and he does bring some concerning history from his Eagles and Jaguars days to Chicago. But, since he's not the play caller, his role won't be as important as it was at his previous two stops.

He's a big part of the offense, but the reason things didn't work out before was his job as offensive play-caller. In a lesser role, Taylor is a fine hire for the Bears.

More Bears news:

• Bears' list of 2026 NFL draft picks, free agents and cap space going into offseason
• Bears get good news on free agent Nahshon Wright amid $16.6M contract projection
• Analyst reveals why Bears' biggest need is not safety this offseason
• Bears get exciting offseason rumor on Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson
• Bears left tackle spot in jeopardy amid uncertain Ozzy Trapilo future in NFL
• Bears insider reveals two things Caleb Williams needs to improve upon this offseason
• Bears give All-Pro safety Kevin Byard team award for 2025 season