Press Taylor Linked To Bears OC Job As In-House Favorite — And Fans Should Be Worried
The Chicago Bears’ search for a new offensive coordinator remains quietly ongoing. Declan Doyle is gone. Head coach Ben Johnson hasn’t spoken on the matter since the departure. The only information available was the news that Chicago wanted to meet with Cardinals passing game coordinator Connor Senger about the position. No other names have surfaced. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network delivered a plot twist this week, revealing that an in-house name has finally emerged.
That is passing game coordinator Press Taylor.
Chicago hired Taylor last offseason, and he’s faded into the background ever since. For him to re-emerge now is somewhat surprising since he wasn’t considered the most obvious choice for a promotion. After all, his track record in positions of power, like offensive coordinator, has not gone well in the past. When he took over as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in Philadelphia in 2018, quarterback Carson Wentz went from MVP contender to total flameout by 2020. It got to a point where head coach Doug Pederson was fired in large part because he wanted to promote Taylor.
Press Taylor didn’t help his case in Jacksonville.
Pederson made him the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator in 2022. Trevor Lawrence had a good first year, throwing 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions while making the Pro Bowl. However, like Wentz, he then began a sharp decline, throwing 31 touchdowns and 21 interceptions over the next two seasons. Keep in mind, Taylor wasn’t calling the plays. It got that bad just because he was the one in charge of organizing everything. Promoting him to that same role again doesn’t feel like an advisable move for the Bears.
It feels like the best place for Press Taylor is right where he is. He can use his background as a former quarterback and quarterbacks coach to help continue crafting a passing game that will help Caleb Williams. Putting anything more on his plate doesn’t usually work out well. It’s worth noting Rapoport didn’t make it seem like he was the heavy favorite for the job. Johnson seems intent on bringing in another outside voice, as he had with Doyle last year.
How long will this take? Nobody knows. The scouting combine takes place on February 23rd. One would think the Bears want their new offensive coordinator in place before then.