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Bears Request Interview With 'Highly Respected' NFC Rival Coach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jordan J. Wilson | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 8:45 PM ET

Newly hired Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has begun working to assemble his coaching staff for the 2025 NFL season, making interview requests to speak with several top league assistants about openings in Chicago.

The Bears are already expected to retain Richard Hightower as their special teams coordinator after initially showing an interest in New Orleans Saints assistant Darren Rizzi for the role, according to 9News' Mike Klis.

Most recently, though, Johnson has set his sights on a "highly respected" NFC North assistant to potentially fill his defensive coordinator vacancy.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bears have requested permission to interview Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones for their vacant defensive coordinator position in 2025.

"Jones is highly respected having worked with defensive minds such as Brian Flores, Vance Joseph and Marvin Lewis, among others," Rapoport noted on X.

Jones has coached various levels of football going back to 2001, but he has steadily gained NFL experience over the past decade. He has been the assistant defensive backs coach in Miami (2015-16), the cornerbacks coach in Cincinnati (2017-18) and the defensive backs coach for the Vikings (2020).

While Jones left the Vikings to serve as LSU's defensive coordinator in 2021, he returned as Minnesota's defensive backs coach in 2022 after the school did not retain him. He then earned a promotion to passing game coordinator in 2023.

Former New Orleans Saints head coach/defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant have also been linked to the Bears' defensive coordinator vacancy.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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