Bears looking at one less experienced candidate for OC

A reported request was made by the Bears to talk to Israel Woolfork for the vacant offensive coordinator position.
The Bears are considering a Cardinals assistant for the offensive coordinator role.
The Bears are considering a Cardinals assistant for the offensive coordinator role. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Bears are hoping to interview a less experienced potential candidate for one coordinator position as they look at candidates to fill out coach Ben Johnson's staff.

According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, they've requested an interview with Cardinals quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork for their offensive coordinator position.

Woolfork, 34, doesn't seem a great fit based on his limited experience in the NFL but could be a rising coach in the league and has been credited by Kyler Murray as making a real difference in his career.

Besides, Johnson is looking for someone not to call plays but to be the organizational coordinator during the week so he can focus on coaching the whole team. Then, Johnson said he'll call plays on game day.

“It's going to be critical for me to find somebody that can organize and structure and set the table particularly early in the week," Johnson said Wednesday at Halas Hall. "I've been around a number of guys that have called plays in the past, and I've seen the potential pitfalls that could arise as you're coaching the entire football team and you can't get to watching as much tape early in the week as you possibly could.

"The offensive coordinator position is going to have to be somebody that not only I trust, but will be extremely detail oriented, organized and structured to set the table. Also willing to work late nights."

Woolfork was with Miami (Ohio) as an undergraduate and position coach from 2013-21 before spending two years with the Browns in 2021 and 2022 on coaching fellowships. Then Woolfork was hired by Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon to coach quarterbacks in 2023.

Woolfork was a wide receiver at Grand Valley State.

Other reported candidates are Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle, Titans quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree and former Stanford coach David Shaw

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI


Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.