It’s been a day of moving and shaking when it comes to building a Chicago Bears coaching staff.
Sure, we’ve seen Joe Brady go elsewhere. But others are making their way to Chicago, where they will join Matt Eberflus and company. In fact, Eberflus seems to be getting the band back together with the second hire for his defensive coaching staff.
Because, in addition to adding Alan Williams as the new defensive coordinator, Dave Borgonzi is coming to the Bears as their new linebackers coach. Like Williams, Borgonzi was coaching with Eberflus and the Colts the last four seasons. But on top of that, Borgonzi has an extensive history coaching in the NFL. Borgonzi has time spent with the Cowboys (2011-13) and Buccaneers (2014-17). Plus, his brother Mike is the Kansas City Chiefs’ Assistant GM. You’ve gotta love when football runs in the family.
Borgonzi comes to Chicago and will take over a position group that is a source of pride for Bears fans and the organization alike. When you think of Bears football, your brain often goes to the linebacker position. That is where Borgonzi will be coaching in 2022. The hope is that, with the help of Borgonzi’s tutelage, Roquan Smith can take his game to another level and join the ranks of some of the elite linebackers to suit up in Chicago. And if you’ve been noticing what Darius Leonard (three Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro nods) in recent years, then you might understand why there is some excitement that comes with these hires.
On the other side of the ball, a new name emerges for the group working with new OC Luke Getsy:
The #Bears continue to fill out their staff, hiring former #Giants WRs coach Tyke Tolbert as their new WRs coach and passing game coordinator, sources say. A very respected assistant who excels at developing talent.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2022
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the Bears are hiring Tyke Tolbert to their staff. Tolbert was the Giants receivers coach from 2018-21. And in Chicago, he’ll reportedly add passing game coordinator to his title once his hire becomes official. Seeing this news hours after Joe Brady went off the market makes me wonder if Brady (who held a similar role for LSU in 2019) was given an opportunity for this role. Not that it matters now.
Tolbert has been at it from a coaching standpoint for a while. The 54-year-old has been coaching receivers in the NFL since 2003. Tolbert has stops in Arizona (2003), Buffalo (2004-09), Carolina (2010), and Denver (2011-17). This would put him on the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 winning staff, as well as the Cardinals group of coaches when Anquan Boldin put up 101 catches, 1,377 yards, and 8 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors from the AP and PFWA. If Tolbert can live up to the reputation Rapoport says the new Bears assistant has, then this hire will be praised in hindsight.
It’s been a busy day for building a coaching staff. The Bears made it officially official with Alan Williams as the defensive coordinator. Williams was coaching safeties with the Colts the last four years while Eberflus was the defensive coordinator. Now, Williams will call the shots as the defensive play-caller in Chicago. Also joining the party is Chris Morgan, the Bears’ new offensive line coach. Morgan has ties to the Shanahan coaching tree, which adds a layer of intrigue to this hire.
There are still numerous positions to fill, so the Bears aren’t out of the woods yet. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to shovel some snow. But if the Bears keep up this hiring rate, then I imagine there will be more coaches to discuss when I get back in from the great outdoors.