The Chicago Bears are off to a strong 7-3 start in 2025, and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is quickly earning recognition as one of the NFL’s most promising young coaching names. At just 28 years old, Doyle’s work in guiding second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and orchestrating one of the league’s most balanced offenses has made him a serious candidate to watch heading into the next head coaching cycle.
In an article published by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, he detailed Doyle’s swift rise through the coaching ranks and explained why his background and early success have positioned him as one of the league’s most intriguing future head coach candidates.
“One of the youngest coordinators in modern NFL history, Doyle spent three years as a student assistant at Iowa before then-Saints coach Sean Payton hired him as an offensive assistant in 2019. When Payton ended a one-year retirement to take the Broncos' head coaching job, he hired Doyle as tight ends coach in Denver, where Doyle spent two seasons before Ben Johnson hand-picked him to serve as OC. With the Bears off to a fast start and QB Caleb Williams playing better, Doyle's pedigree could compel some teams to at least want to pick his brain in January.”
Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears offense has surged near the top of the NFL. Chicago ranks eighth in points per game (25.8), second in rushing yards (146.6), and first in turnover margin (+16). Doyle’s fingerprints are all over the success — particularly in the creativity, efficiency, and discipline of the attack.
The most impressive aspect of the assistant coach’s impact has been his work with Williams. The second-year quarterback is thriving in an offense that blends structure with improvisation, emphasizing timing, tempo, and quarterback-friendly concepts. The assistant coach’s ability to combine lessons from Sean Payton with Ben Johnson’s modern principles has helped the Bears develop one of the league’s most efficient and balanced attacks.
With the Bears atop the NFC North and Williams progressing, Doyle’s stock keeps rising. With the playoffs less than two months away, he’s emerging as one of the NFL’s top young head coach candidates.
