Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has far more responsibilities than just calling plays for the offense. That's why he needs assistants like Press Taylor to help ensure nothing slips through the cracks on this Bears team.
Press Taylor may have a new title as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, but he is already familiar with head coach Ben Johnson.
During the 2025 NFL season, Taylor served as the Bears' passing game coordinator. After former Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle took the same position with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, the Bears promoted Taylor to become their OC.
Taylor was the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022 to 2024 before he came to Chicago. He's well versed on the offensive side of the ball, and knows what to expect with Johnson and his offense.
Johnson shared his thoughts about Taylor with reporters at the NFL's Annual League Meeting, and how his new offensive coordinator will be an asset to the team.
"He's able to really look and fill voids," Johnson said. "I think that's what the best assistant coaches do. They find blind spots and they go ahead and look to solve those issues themselves rather than allowing them to become big issues. He does that. He does that at a high level. He's extremely smart, he's the most organized coach that I have been around at this level. He's got libraries of plays. ..."
Johnson also mentioned that Taylor has plays in a section of his library to go against particular defensive coordinators. Having those plays to start a game plan provides the Bears with a solid foundation going into every week.
When Johnson mentioned filling voids, that's important since Johnson isn't just the play caller for the Bears. He's the head coach, so anything he can't personally address, those tasks can be distributed among the coach staff.
Taylor's detail-oriented approach sounds similar to how Johnson described Doyle in their lone season together.
"I feel really good about the transition," Johnson said. "He was a natural in front of the room with the opportunities that he got last year. Obviously, he's been a coordinator before, so that helps, and he's got the respect of the coaching staff as well. So, whenever I'm not in the room, he knows exactly how to drive the ship so that we're still being productive."
Although Taylor won’t be calling plays as Chicago’s offensive coordinator, he remains a vital asset for Johnson. As the coaching staff continues installing the system for a young core, including Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and Kyle Monangai, Taylor will be instrumental in ensuring both the playmakers and Johnson have every resource they need to succeed this season.