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Expanded Chicago Bears Coaching Staff Appears Complete

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Gene Chamberlain | Last updated Jan 31, 2024 11:51 AM ET

The Bears coaching staff would appear to be complete with the reported hiring of Chad Morton as running backs coach and creation of a separate passing game coordinator spot for Thomas Brown.

Morton's hiring, reported by the Sun-Times' Jason Lieser, and Brown's, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, give the Bears their largest coaching staff ever.

Brown was a candidate for offensive coordinator and was the Panthers offensive coordinator last year when Carolina had the league's worst offense and passing attack. Brown coached Rams running backs in 2020-22, and was assistant head coach there in 2021 and 2022, as well. He had been running backs coach at Chattanooga (2012), Marshall (2013), Wisconsin (2014), Georgia (2015), Miami (2016-2018) and South Carolina (2019) before making the jump to the NFL.

Tyke Tolbert had been the Bears passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach before being fired at the end of the 2022 season. The Bears have reportedly agreed to hire Chris Beatty as receivers coach.

Morton has been working with new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron since 2021. He has been in the NFL as a coach since 2009 when he was a Packers coaching administrator and special teams assistant. He was Seahawks special teams assistant in 2014 and then began working with running backs in 2015, eventually becoming the head running backs coach in 2017. The Seahawks added the title of running game coordinator the last two seasons for him.

While this is the reported Bears coaching staff at this point, it's possible they could add another assistant position coach or general assistant.

There are 24 on the staff total, counting four strength and conditioning assistants.

There could be 25 if Phil Snow has been retained as special defensive assistant to help with advance scouting, a role he filled midway through last season.