Bears request to interview Cardinals QB coach Israel Woolfork |
When you look at how poorly the Bears offense has played the past few seasons, it wasn't a shock to see Ben Johnson getting hired as the team's new head coach. Chicago has hinted at going in an offensive direction for a while now, so what better way to do that than by going after one of the best, if not the best, offensive minds in the game?
Appointing Johnson as their next head coach was an important step, but it was only the first step in an important hiring process. Johnson must now piece together his staff, and he started on Friday by adding a trio of names with which he has had previous experience. Looking at some of the names linked to the offensive coordinator job, you see Johnson stepping out of his comfort zone. Israel Woolfork is another one, as the Bears have requested an interview. For those unfamiliar with Woolfork, I wouldn't blame you, as this is a coach that no one has talked about. However, when you examine his resume and see where he is now, you can see why the Bears requested an interview. He has succeeded with young quarterbacks and a mobile quarterback who plays in a similar style to Caleb Williams. Woolfork has been the quarterback coach of the Arizona Cardinals for the past two seasons under Jonathan Gannon. After going through some struggles in his first season, with a lot of those struggles falling on the Kyler Murray injury, Woolfork put his skill set to good use in 2024 as Murray had one of his better seasons as a pro and helped keep the Cardinals in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. Seeing the amount of success, Woolfork had with Murray is why the Bears have requested this interview, as they have a young quarterback who needs the correct guidance to get better. Like many coaches these days, Woolfork got his start at the NCAA level, where he was part of the Miami Redhawks staff from 2013-2021. The 35-year-old started as a graduate assistant with the Red Hawks before getting promoted to running back coach and, eventually, their wide receiver coach. Although none of those positional coaches are seen as essential, the overall variety of roles he has held can only help his long-term career. Following that nine-year run in college, Woolfork finally got his opportunity in the NFL, where he latched on with the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and 2022. Although he may not have had an official role and was only working in the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship, he still managed to use that experience to learn the NFL game, hoping to land his first NFL coaching position. That opportunity came in 2023 when Gannon appointed him to his staff ahead of 2023 when he was the Cardinals quarterback coach for the past two seasons. Could the Bears offensive coordinator opening be the next step in his coaching journey? When you look back at Johnson's introductory press conference, he had this to say about what he is looking for in an offensive coordinator. “It's going to be critical for me to find somebody that can organize and structure and set the table particularly early in the week," Johnson said. "I've been around a number oseveral have called plays in the past, and I've seen the potential pitfalls that could arise as you're coaching the entire football team, and you can't get to watching as much tape early in the week as you possibly could. The offensive coordinator position is going to have to be somebody that not only I trust but will be extremely detail-oriented, organized, and structured to set the table. Also willing to work late nights." Although Woolfork doesn't have the playcalling experience some candidates have, his variety of positions proves he is knowledgeable about the small details affecting a team's overall structure. Finding a coach Johnson can trust with every game plan and one who can pay attention to detail will be challenging, but Woolfork offers much of what Johnson is looking for.
