Ben Johnson is prepared to lose staffers to promotions elsewhere.
Wednesday, two Bears position coaches took steps toward that end.
Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy took the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator job reuniting with head coach Andy Reid and taking the place of former Bears head coach Matt Nagy, who is interviewing for head coaching and coordinator jobs elsewhere.
Defensive backs coach Al Harris interviewed for the rival Packers defensive coordinator job Wednesday. Harris played cornerback in Green Bay from 2003-09, going to two Pro Bowls during his stint there. Packers coordinator Jeff Hafley was named the Dolphins' head coach this week.
Under Bieniemy, the Bears finished third in the league in rushing. Under Harris, they led the NFL in interceptions.
Wednesday, Johnson said that a few NFL teams had put in coaching interview request slips for members of his staff. He called his employees a “five-star staff,” saying it was rare for head coaches to find the right mix in Year 1 the way he did.
Johnson said he encourages his staffers to seek promotions — but also values coaches who want to be in Chicago.
“I see future head coaches on this staff,” he said. “I see future coordinators. I see these young coaches being future position coaches. I see that across the board. So, when you have success and you win games, normally that's what happens. …
“And I'm all for it, man. I want these guys to continue to ascend, anything I can do to help them out. I think they all know I'm more than willing to do that.”
