There is one rule about the NFL that fans and the media know well these days. If you win in this league, there will be consequences. Namely, other teams will look to poach from you, hoping to acquire the talent that helped make you successful. That isn’t exclusive to players. It is true for executives and coaches as well. The Chicago Bears found that out this offseason as they lost several notable names on all three fronts. Multiple free agents were lost. Assistant general manager Ian Cunningham left for Atlanta, while offensive coordinator Declan Doyle left for Baltimore. While none of it was surprising, it was still tough. It leaves a lingering question.
Who is next?
NFL insider Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reached out to various people inside the league searching for names who might be poised for bigger things in the near future. One did come up for the Bears, and it might not be who you’re thinking.
“Chicago Bears: Jim Dray, tight ends
Other than the quarterback, Bears coach Ben Johnson has made it clear that tight end is the most important element of his layered, explosive offensive system. That especially highlights Dray, whom Johnson retained from the Matt Eberflus-era staff. Dray will be coaching one of the most talented position rooms in the NFL, featuring Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and rookie third-rounder Sam Roush.”
Dray was a tight end in the NFL for seven seasons, bouncing between several teams. He returned to his alma mater at Stanford to begin his coaching career. Almost immediately, he jumped back to the NFL with Cleveland before heading over to Arizona in 2020 as a quality control coach. Matt Eberflus then lured him to Chicago as tight ends coach in 2022, a position he’s held ever since.
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The Chicago Bears have understandably kept Dray a secret.
He achieved results immediately. Cole Kmet had the two best seasons of his career in 2022 and 2023 under Dray’s direction, scoring 13 touchdowns and posting over 1200 yards. Then last season, rookie 1st round pick Colston Loveland led the entire team with 713 yards while scoring six touchdowns. Keep in mind that Dray was one of the few assistant coaches that head coach Ben Johnson decided to keep from Eberflus’ tenure. Johnson is known for being a tight end aficionado himself. So it was a considerable nod of approval.
If Loveland has the breakout year many expect him to this season, it will be impossible to ignore Dray any longer. Tight end coaches are getting far more attention these days than in years past. Dan Campbell’s success in Detroit has helped with that. The same is true for Johnson in Chicago. The position’s evolving importance to offensive success is a key reason. It isn’t hard to imagine somebody coming in with an offer to become an offensive coordinator with their team.
Dray’s success is good for him and the Bears.
This is the often-double-edged sword teams live with. You want the best assistant coaches possible because they increase your team’s chances of winning. At the same time, it increases the odds that they will eventually leave for bigger jobs elsewhere. You can’t have one without the other. That is why the best teams are often the ones who can identify quality assistants regularly, knowing they’ll eventually lose the ones they have. Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams are a perfect example of this.
It feels like only a matter of time before Dray gets his shot. He’s only 39 years old, right around the age when assistants start getting serious looks for coordinator jobs. One more season in Johnson’s prolific offense will likely be enough to generate buzz. Clearly, teams are already aware of them. They merely need a little more incentive to pick up the phone. Don’t expect the Chicago Bears to stand in the way.
They’ve made it clear they will not block assistants from upward mobility.
