Bears promote Press Taylor to offensive coordinator under coach Ben Johnson

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have promoted pass game coordinator Press Taylor to offensive coordinator to replace the departed Declan Doyle, one of four coaching moves announced by the team on Wednesday.

Taylor was Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024. His promotion comes after Doyle left to call plays in Baltimore under new Ravens coach Jesse Minter.

Coach Ben Johnson will continue to call plays after the Bears made the playoffs in his first season. Chicago's offense ranked sixth overall, with quarterback Caleb Williams making big strides in his second year. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, he threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Bears were third in rushing, with D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai leading the way. Chicago also committed a league-low 11 turnovers.

The Bears also hired Eric Studesville as running backs coach, Will Lawing as offensive analyst and Isaiah Ford as offensive quality control coach. A 29-year NFL coaching veteran, Studesville was a Bears assistant in the late 1990s and spent the past eight seasons in Miami, working alongside Johnson for part of that time. Studesville takes over for Eric Bieniemy, who left to become Kansas City's offensive coordinator.

Chicago went 11-6 and won its first NFC North title since 2018 after finishing last the previous season. The Bears advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, rallying to beat Green Bay in a wild-card thriller before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.

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