The Chicago Bears weren’t surprised when Eric Bieniemy left for Kansas City. It felt like one of those things that was always bound to happen. He had too many roots there to ignore the call to come home. However, Declan Doyle was more of a shock. While Ben Johnson knew his young offensive coordinator was too smart to stick around forever, seeing him departure after one year for the same role in Baltimore was unexpected. It also wasn’t received well in the locker room, according to Cole Kmet.
In an interview with 104.3 The Score, the Bears’ tight end explained how valuable Doyle was to the team’s offensive operation during the season. While it’s true he didn’t call plays, he was a big part of building the structure that made everything go. Perhaps his greatest value was something Chicago became known for this past season: halftime adjustments. Doyle was instrumental in recognizing what opposing defenses were doing and in instructing players on how to counter them.
Cole Kmet understands it’s not just about play calling.
Just look at what happened with Bieniemy. He never called plays during his time in Kansas City. Why would the Chiefs be so eager to bring him back despite winning a Super Bowl two years ago with Matt Nagy? The easy answer is that Bieniemy provided the discipline, motivation, and structure the team needed to excel. Head coach Andy Reid couldn’t always do that because of other responsibilities. That is what Doyle did for the Bears. He covered areas with the necessary detail and preparation that Coach Johnson couldn’t because of his wider duties.
Now somebody else must step into this role. Cole Kmet and the rest of the players are left wondering who it could be. There haven’t been any hints regarding a possible replacement. That either means Johnson has a candidate in mind or he’s still actively searching for one. Based on his track record from last year, it feels like the latter is more likely. Simply promoting from within isn’t something the Bears head coach would do. One of the reasons he sought Doyle out in the first place was to have an outside voice. It will likely be the same again.
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