INDIANAPOLIS — During Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s introductory press conference just over a month ago, he cracked a joke about a requirement for his soon-to-be-hired offensive coordinator: “be willing to work late nights.”
The line elicited laughter from the room, but Johnson wasn’t really kidding. And now, Declan Doyle — who was hired as offensive coordinator six days after Johnson’s press conference — can confirm the requirement as reality.
“I would say it’s constant,” Doyle said of his communication with Johnson. “We’ve pretty much been at the office unless we’re sleeping. A lot of times in the NFL during the offseason, you’re in from 8:00 to 5:00, or something like that. It’s not that way when you’re a first-year staff. We’re in there until 10 at night, and then we go home. We come back in at 5:30 or 6 a.m. and we go right back to work.”
Up until the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, Doyle hasn’t spent much time away from Halas Hall, unless it’s of course to go on a run or work out — a routine he’s kept every day for the last seven years. But that grind of establishing a new role with a new team under a new leader is far from a burden to Doyle; it’s motivation.
“The transition has been outstanding,” Doyle told ChicagoBears.com. “The people are awesome. It’s a very welcoming organization. Super impressed by the ownership group, Ryan and his staff — they’ve all been awesome. I’ve had an outstanding experience so far just with the people that make up the organization. And obviously, with Ben and the staff that he’s hired, us trying to supplement that as we work to build a winner.”
The early stage of Doyle’s working relationship with Johnson has added an extra layer of motivation for the 28-year-old from Iowa. For Doyle, that around-the-clock communication with someone who has been in this role at the highest level is the ultimate form of mentorship.
“I think he and I are a match made in heaven.”Bears head coach Ben Johnson on offensive coordinator Declan Doyle
While this is the pair’s first time working together, they first met three years ago when Doyle interviewed for the Lions’ tight end coaching job after Johnson had been promoted to be Detroit’s offensive coordinator.
Doyle remembered Johnson as a “tough interview,” who asked a lot of questions with a stern demeanor. Doyle would present a play concept and Johnson would ask: “what coverage do you like it against? Why do you like it against that coverage?”
Johnson was thorough and detailed. While Doyle didn’t end up with the position — later joining Denver’s staff as a tight end coach from 2023-24 — that interview opened his eyes to who Johnson was.
“When I was done with the interview, I didn’t know if he liked me, but I was like, ‘man, this is a very intelligent person who understands all facets of the game,'” Doyle recalled. “He’s exactly what I want to be like when I’m his age, so to be exposed to him now is really exciting for me.”
Three years later, it’s clear Doyle also made a positive impression on Johnson.
“When people believe in you, it makes you want to go out and do the best job that you can for them.”Declan Doyle
During his press conference Tuesday at the combine, Johnson shared that prior to hiring Doyle, he called new Lions offensive coordinator John Morton for a scouting report. Johnson asked Morton — who spent the last two seasons as pass game coordinator in Denver — if he thought Doyle was ready for the role.
“[Morton] said, ‘Ben, listen, he’s another Ben Johnson,’ which, I think that’s a good thing,” Johnson joked. “I’m banking on that being a good thing. Listen, I think he and I are a match made in heaven. He thinks very much like me. It’s been awesome getting him into the building the last few weeks. Extremely detailed. Extremely organized. The age does not matter. He is going to be respected by not only the players but also his fellow coaches as well.”
Hearing that vote of confidence from Johnson elicited a smile from Doyle. That reciprocated respect and excitement of being on this journey together isn’t something Doyle takes lightly.
“Obviously to me, that’s a huge compliment — that’s great to hear,” Doyle said. “The biggest thing is I’m very willing to do whatever it takes to aid him and allow him to have success. He has belief in me, and I think that speaks volumes and personally, is very motivating. When people believe in you, it makes you want to go out and do the best job that you can for them.”
While Doyle has spent plenty of time alongside Johnson in the past month, the coordinator is building that bond with the entire offensive staff. Over the last couple weeks, the entire offensive staff has met from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. almost daily, working to establish one language and identity — which will soon trickle down to new and current players.
The coaches will have their first shot at sharing that vision during the combine through meetings with prospects. While this is Doyle’s seventh NFL Combine, it’s the first where he’s had a hand in shaping the entire offensive vision versus just for a specific position.
“The most important thing is we’re choosing who we’re going to be bringing into our building, who we’re going to be building our culture around and who those leaders are going to be in 2 to 3 years,” Doyle said. “That’s the most exciting thing about the whole event is you’re identifying guys that are going to fit our vision, our culture, who we want to be here and they become our DNA.”
Building that culture with players already on the Bears roster is also a crucial part of Doyle’s first few months on the job. Doyle has already reached out to offensive leaders including quarterback Caleb Williams to let them know, “we’re here to help.”
Keeping in mind a mantra of “there are no rules without relationship,” Doyle is working to establish an early open-door policy with the locker room and gain the players’ trust.
“Most of these guys don’t know me and I’m pretty comfortable with that,” Doyle said. “I’m excited to prove to them through action, my willingness to help them. I think more than anything, these guys are all very excited. They’re excited to be coached. They want to work. That’s the biggest takeaway is that there’s an anticipation by them that they’re ready to go.”
“You can feel like you’re ready for something, and you don’t truly know until you do it.”Declan Doyle
As the Bears near the 2025 NFL Draft and the offseason program, those relationships will continue to grow deeper for Doyle.
In his short time with the Bears, Doyle has already been able to do some reflection on the journey to Chicago. He can still remember his first year at the combine in 2019 as an offensive assistant with the Saints when the old train station in Indy still operated. Instead of sitting in on formal interviews, he spent the days as a runner, grabbing prospects as they arrive and bringing them to position coaches for meetings.
Seven years later, Doyle is confident in the role he is in and his ability to help Johnson lead the Bears in 2025.
“You can feel like you’re ready for something, and you don’t truly know until you do it,” Doyle said. “That’s what I feel like I’ve learned is as you experience it, you start to feel, ‘okay, it is well within my ability to do this job.’
“Confidence is born of demonstrated ability. I always say that to our players. That would be the biggest takeaway over the last few weeks is, I feel really comfortable doing the job and that is the coolest part.”
