Bears Are Eyeing Connor Senger For New OC — And Why It Makes Perfect Sense
Declan Doyle departed for the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator job last week. People close to the Chicago Bears organization had not expected it. They felt Doyle would be staying put for another year. However, the chance to coach Lamar Jackson proved too good to pass up. Now, Bears head coach Ben Johnson must go looking for a new coordinator. Rather than just promote from within, it appears he wants to bring in another outside perspective. The first candidate has finally surfaced. His name is Connor Senger.
Don’t feel bad if you don’t know the name. Senger is only 30 years old and broke into the NFL in 2022 through the Bill Walsh Fellowship in Arizona. After starting as an offensive quality control coach, he worked his way up the ladder to eventually become the Cardinals’ passing game coordinator in 2025. That is a pretty meteoric rise in just three years. Though Arizona was 3-14 on the season, it still posted the 7th-ranked passing attack in the NFL. Jacoby Brissett finished with career highs in passing yards (3,366) and touchdowns (23).
It’s little wonder Johnson was intrigued to talk to Senger.
Connor Senger was likely recommended by Drew Petzing.
Remember, before joining the Detroit Lions as their new offensive coordinator, Petzing ran the offense in Arizona for three years. He was the one who hired and promoted Senger multiple times. He is also best friends with Johnson. It isn’t a stretch to believe Petzing gave the Bears coach a tip about the young assistant. It’s worth noting that Petzing sees the game in much the same way Johnson does. They love running the ball and utilizing the tight ends. Trey McBride had over 1200 yards and 11 touchdowns last year with the Cardinals.
Connor Senger already has a pretty good feel for the type of offense Johnson would want to run. He’s also young and open to new ideas, meaning he won’t be stuck in his ways like some older coaches might. It was entirely the reason Johnson hired Doyle last year. Senger’s reputation has only grown since his wide receiver unit put on by far the best performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl last month. He clearly has a knack for developing younger players, which the Bears will need.
It will be interesting to see if any other names surface. One thing is clear. Johnson is sticking to the same plan that landed him Doyle last year: young, detailed, and ambitious.