Winning always comes at a cost to teams, and the Chicago Bears are looking like the next victims of this.
The Bears are solely focused on the playoffs, as they are the second seed set to take on the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card. That doesn't mean they will be free of stress when their season ends.
ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler recently examined every NFL team to assess what their coaching situation could be during the offseason. Fowler has his eyes on two coaches on the staff who could be poached by other NFL teams.
"Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle could get some attention either for playcalling opportunities or head-coaching jobs elsewhere. Defensive backs coach Al Harris is a coordinator candidate who has ties to various coaches, including John Harbaugh, Mike McCarthy and Steve Spagnuolo."
Declan Doyle and Al Harris could be out of Chicago in the offseason
The likelihood of Doyle actually receiving a head coaching job is very slim, but the possibility of him moving on to a team that needs an offensive coordinator with play-calling duties is very strong. Bears head coach Ben Johnson does that right now for the Bears, so Doyle doesn't have as much on his plate as he is more focused on developing the players and helping with the game plan.
Doyle is a fascinating name, especially since he isn't even 30 yet and is already an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He moved up quickly from being an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints to being the tight ends coach with the Denver Broncos.
The fact that Doyle comes from the Sean Payton coaching tree and has now worked alongside Johnson is a massive plus for him. Chicago's offense is one of the best in the NFL, and other teams around the league will want to replicate it, with Doyle as the key.
Harris has been a name brought up to be the defensive coordinator in 2026 all season now. His work with getting Kevin Byard to lead the NFL in interceptions with seven and turning Nahshon Wright into a turnover machine has certainly helped.
It has been a challenging season for Harris as he has dealt with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon being injured, had to coach C.J. Gardner-Johnson to move from safety to nickel corner, and did it all to near perfection.
One obvious landing spot for a defensive coordinator is with the team he was just with, the Dallas Cowboys. Harris might get a call about an interview there, but he will get some attention in the offseason.
Read more: Ben Johnson opens up about meaning behind Bears playing in postseason
There is a price that must be paid for winning, and Chicago is okay with that, especially since it is leading them into the playoffs.