The Detroit Lions decided to make Drew Petzing their next offensive coordinator, as the coaching shakeup around the league has been in full force. Although the Lions hope to bounce back in 2026, they can't be thrilled with the news that came out around the Chicago Bears.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that Bears OC Declan Doyle is withdrawing his name from consideration for the Eagles' offensive coordinator job. And that means the Lions will have to see Doyle on Chicago's coaching staff for the 2026 season, which is less than ideal.
Declan Doyle's Bears Return Isn't Ideal for Lions
Doyle didn't call plays with the Bears, as head coach Ben Johnson still carried that role. Instead, he helps craft game plans for Chicago and found success there, as the Bears' offense improved as the year progressed. In 2025, Chicago ranked sixth in total offense (369.2), 10th in pass offense (225.1), third in rushing offense (144.5), and eighth in points per game (25.9).
Even though things weren't perfect for them all season, the Bears showed flashes of being a productive offense. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy was plucked from Chicago's staff to head back to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Lions were hoping that trend continued with Doyle.
The idea of him leaving the Bears to join the Eagles would mean that Johnson would have had to replace another coach on the staff. Those moves disrupt the continuity that Chicago is building, and the update from Russini highlights that the Bears can lean into that.
Detroit would love to see every other team in the division get worse over the offseason. The Lions have their work cut out for them in 2026 after going 9-8 and missing the playoffs this season. They had to watch the Packers and Bears both make the postseason, adding to their despair.
Meanwhile, the Lions have some holes along the offensive line and defense that need to be fixed. HC Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have built and coached this organization to be one of the top teams in the league. Yet, it won't be easy inside the NFC North.
It has become one of the toughest divisions in all of football, and the team that won it in 2025 is keeping one of its valued coaches. There's still a chance they lose someone like defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Al Harris on the defensive side of the ball, which would benefit the Lions. Still, nothing is guaranteed.
Johnson and Doyle will continue to build on what they accomplished this campaign, and the Lions hope can do enough to combat any more offseason moves their NFC North rivals make.