The Chicago Bears already have Mitch Trubisky’s position coach on staff, but that isn’t stopping the team from interviewing other candidates for the position.
Houston Texans offensive assistant Pat O’Hara was in Chicago to interview to be the team’s Quarterbacks Coach in 2018 and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune adds Todd Downing to the list of candidates. Dave Ragone, who has been the team’s QBs Coach for each of the last two seasons, remains under contract and on the Bears’ coaching staff for the time being.
Based on his past, Downing seems like an ideal candidate for this position. He was the Lions’ Offensive Quality Assistant (2009), Assistant QBs Coach (2010), and Quarterbacks Coach (2011-13) in Matthew Stafford’s first five season, meaning he had a direct hand in his rise to stardom. Downing was also Derek Carr’s position coach for his second and third seasons with the Raiders, both of which were Pro Bowl campaigns. So while Oakland’s offense sputtered in his one season as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2017, Downing’s work as a position coach has been more positive than negative.
And it might be nice to have a coach who knows what it takes to make the big leap in Year 2 working with Trubisky as he enters his second year in the NFL.
Downing has more than 15 years of coaching experience with the Vikings, Rams, Lions, Bills, and Raiders. His longevity is matched in impressiveness only by the variety of positions he has worked in during his NFL career. He has been a Football Systems Analyst (Vikings), Defensive/Special Teams Assistant (Rams), Offensive Quality Control Coach (Lions, Vikings), Defensive Quality Control Coach (Rams), and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach (Lions). Downing has also worked under the following head coaches: Jack Del Rio, Scott Linehan, Doug Marrone, Jim Schwartz, and Mike Tice.
Having experience on both sides of the ball can’t hurt when dissecting the most important position on the gridiron. Downing is well traveled, but his next stop may very well be Chicago.