After he was hired away by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chicago Bears now have an Eric Bieniemy-sized opening on their coaching staff, which isn’t going to be easy to fill.
Chicago’s running backs coach for the 2025 season, the Chiefs just hired Bieniemy to be their offensive coordinator, a role he previously occupied from 2018-2022.
With a major vacancy on his coaching staff, Bears coach Ben Johnson and company will soon be looking to fill it, and Duce Staley is a name to keep an eye on as a potential Bieniemy replacement.
“With former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on his way to take over the head coaching role with the Atlanta Falcons, it’s entirely likely that some of his staff follows him. That includes long-time NFL running backs coach and former NFL running back Duce Staley,” A to Z Sports’ Kole Noble wrote on January 19, adding:
“However, Johnson could give it a shot to lure him to Chicago. The two overlapped in Detroit when Johnson was the Lions’ tight end coach and Staley was the Lions’ assistant head coach/running backs coach under Dan Campbell. There’s familiarity there and Staley has a long track record of success.”
Why Duce Staley Would Be a Solid Replacement for Eric Bieniemy as the Chicago Bears’ Next RBs Coach
GettyDuce Staley would be a great option for the Chicago Bears to replace Eric Bieniemy as the team’s next RBs coach.
As Noble noted, Staley has a history with Johnson, when the two worked together in Detroit for two seasons. Could that history coupled with Chicago’s recent ascent intrigue Staley enough to head to the Windy City? It’s certainly possible.
Here’s a closer look at Staley’s coaching experience:
- Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2020): Running backs coach and later assistant head coach under Doug Pederson. Coached the Eagles’ backfield during their Super Bowl 52 championship season, worked with backs including LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles.
- Detroit Lions (2021–2022): Assistant head coach and running backs coach on Dan Campbell’s staff. Worked with current Bears RB D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, who led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022.
- Carolina Panthers (2023): Running backs coach during a transitional season.
- Cleveland Browns (2024–2025): Running backs coach under Kevin Stefanski, where he led a deep, frequently rotated backfield.
As a player, Staley spent a decade in the league, playing for both the Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had three 1,000-yard seasons in that span, finishing with 5,785 yards rushing and a career average of 4.o yards per carry.
Bears Had One of NFL’s Best Rushing Attacks in 2025
There’s no doubt Bieniemy was a huge asset for the Bears this past season. Chicago averaged 144.5 yards rushing per game in 2025, which ranked 3rd in the league. His toughness and leadership were huge for both Swift, who had the best season of his career, and Kyle Monangai, who was ranked 5th amongst all rookie RBs in yardage (753 yards).
While the Bears will miss Bieniemy, there likely wouldn’t be much drop-off if they added a guy like Staley.
We know Johnson has stocked his staff with former players — Bieniemy is a former RB, and both receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and DBs coach Al Harris were well-known back in their playing days. That doesn’t mean Staley is a lock by any means, but his experience as a player should only intrigue the Bears more. It’ll be interesting to see if they show interest — and whether that interest would be reciprocated.
Bears Could Target Eric Bieniemy Replacement With Ben Johnson Ties