NEWSLETTER
Keep the Chicago Bears head coach candidates coming.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the latest on yet another person of interest in Chicago’s search for a new head coach. Drew Petzing, come on down:
Drew Petzing joins Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, as well as Detroit Lions assistant coaches Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn as coaching candidates the Bears have put in interview requests for at the outset of this NFL hiring cycle. In short, Chicago’s football team is wasting very little time in getting the ball rolling.
RapSheet calls the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator “a rising, impressive coach.” And while he hasn’t been top of mind, Petzing’s profile is one I am looking forward to diving into as we start getting deeper into the Bears’ search for a new head coach.
Who is Drew Petzing and why do the Bears request to interview him?
Drew Petzing, 37, is in his second year as the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator. And for what it’s worth, Petzing’s offense put up some decent numbers in 2024. The Cardinals finished 12th in points and 11th in yards. Quarterback Kyler Murray posted his best completion percentage since 2021 and owned a passer rating north of 90 for the first time since being named a Pro Bowler that season. ESPN’s QBR metric had Kyler down with a 66.5 number, which represents a career-best.
In addition to getting Kyler Murray on track, Drew Petzing orchestrated an offense that featured James Connor rushing for 1,000+ yards for a second consecutive season. It also saw tight end Trey McBride lead the team with 111 receptions and 1,146 receiving yards. After watching Cole Kmet get ignored in the Bears’ offense in 2024, I would be open to hearing what Petzing would have to say about tight end usage in his scheme.
For those who might be unfamiliar with Drew Petzing’s game, he has quite the coaching résumé. Check it out:
- 2009: Harvard University volunteer student assistant
- 2010-11: Boston College grad assistant
- 2012: Yale outside linebacker coach
- 2013: Cleveland Browns football operations intern
- 2014-19: Minnesota Vikings offensive assistant (2014-15), assistant wide receivers coach (2016-17), assistant quarterbacks coach (2018), wide receivers coach (2019)
- 2020-22: Cleveland Browns tight ends coach (2020-21), quarterbacks coach (2022)
Drew Petzing was one of a handful of names who caught my eye in November when I began feeling that change at the head coach position was inevitable (and the right thing to do in 2025). This is what I had to say about his potential candidacy then:
Not only are the Arizona Cardinals surprisingly competitive in the NFC West, but they lead the division and control their own destiny in the playoff race. The Cards’ offense ranks 11th in yards, seventh in points, and ranks 11th in offensive DVOA. That Petzing is the offensive playcaller and top voice leading the offense for a defensive-leaning head coach makes him worth considering if Arizona can continue its rise in the standings.
Petzing is well-traveled and well-versed in coaching all over the football field. And at different levels, too. It isn’t every day that you come across a head coach candidate whose stops include Harvard and Yale. The depth of knowledge that Drew Petzing has accumulated over the years is something that I think the Bears should be interested in talking about when they have him in for an interview.
