Shortly after hiring away the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator to become their new head coach, the Chicago Bears are turning to a former Green Bay Packers standout to help coach up his defense.
Al Harris, who played cornerback in the NFL from 1998-2011, is reportedly joining Ben Johnson and the Bears coaching staff.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the deets:
I realize that the Bears took a lot of guff for running through a gauntlet of interview candidates before hiring Ben Johnson. But I feel as if it is worth pointing out that Al Harris worked for one of those candidates while he was with the Dallas Cowboys. I’d bet a dollar to a donut that Harris’ name came up in conversation when Mike McCarthy and the Bears were chopping it up. Perhaps the Harris hire can serve as a reminder that there could be sense to be made from the madness that was the waves and waves of coaching candidate interviews this team held between the start of the offseason and the end of its search.
Al Harris will get to see the other side of the Bears-Packers rivalry
Al Harris, a sixth-round draft pick (169th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1997 had a decorated NFL career. He spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles (1998-2002), Miami Dolphins (2010), and St. Louis Rams (2011). However, Bears fans can attest that his best years came with the Green Bay Packers.
From 2003-09, Al Harris was a menace in Green Bay’s secondary. a Pro Bowl cornerback in 2007 and 2008, Harris played at a high level for the Packers. Harris played 102 games with the Packers, collected 14 interceptions, collected two pick-sixes, was a playmaker with the ball in the air, and a straight-up nuisance in coverage. Given his history as a player, it is not a surprise that he has been a quality assistant coach.
Since putting his playing days in the rearview mirror, Al Harris has coached in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins (2012), Kansas City Chiefs (2013-18), and Dallas Cowboys (2020-23). Now, he is set to get the title of DBs Coach and defensive pass game coordinator. And, he will get a different perspective on the longest-running rivalry in the NFL. That’ll be fun to hear what he has to say when the Bears and Packers square off later this year.
As for his potential coaching impact, I would be curious to see if Al Harris can get through to cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. The University of Miami product finished his rookie season strong in 2023, and then got off to a good start in 2024. And then the Fail Mary happened and it felt like all the progress he had made up to that point unraveled. For what it’s worth, Stevenson snagged a late-season interception of Sam Darnold on Monday Night Football on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. So perhaps his arrow will soon start pointing up again.
