Remembered by most for his time at Ohio State and perhaps by some PFR loyalists for his journeys on and off the Saints’ practice squad, J.T. Barrett is making a move into a key coaching position.
Ben Johnson is bringing Barrett with him from Detroit, and the ex-Lions assistant quarterbacks coach will move up the ladder. Johnson has installed Barrett as the Bears’ QBs coach. The former practice squad arm has been in coaching since being hired on Dan Campbell‘s staff in 2022, and he has quickly climbed the ladder.
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As was the case with fellow recent retiree-turned-coach Shaun Dion Hamilton, Barrett joined the Lions as a low-level assistant. Three years later, he is set to be Caleb Williams‘ position coach. Barrett, 30, never appeared in a regular-season game but stuck around with the Saints for the better part of two seasons before joining the CFL’s Edmonton Elks in 2022. A season-ending injury prompted Barrett to hang up his cleats, and he caught on under a rising assistant. He joins Antwaan Randle El as key offensive staffers following Johnson to Chicago.
The Bears are also bringing Anthony Blevins back to the NFL, hiring him as assistant special teams coach. Blevins made some news in 2023 when he left the Giants shortly before training camp to become head coach of the XFL’s Las Vegas Vipers. Blevins never enjoyed the chance to coach the Vipers, as the XFL 3.0 team did not survive to become part of the UFL last year. But Blevins worked with the Birmingham Stallions during the UFL’s debut season.
Blevins has an extensive history in the NFL, having been Bruce Arians‘ assistant ST coach for five seasons in Arizona and then taking the same position for five years with the Giants. The Alabama native will return to the league after a two-season absence.
Joining Blevins as a new hire, Matt Giordano will come over after two years with the Saints. The Bears have the former NFL DB in place as their safeties coach. The nine-year vet began his NFL coaching run in 2023; this will be his second gig in the league. Chicago is also hiring Oregon State offensive line coach Kyle DeVan to be its assistant O-line coach. DeVan, a five-year NFL vet, began his coaching tenure as the Saints’ assistant OL coach in 2015 but has traveled plenty since. The Bears will be DeVan’s sixth employer in the 2020s.
Johnson is not turning over the entire staff, opting to retain a few members from the Matt Eberflus period. Kevin Koch is moving up from the quality control level to assistant linebackers coach. Kenny Norton III is staying with the team as well, remaining a defensive QC staffer. The second-generation NFL assistant is starting his third year with the Bears. Another coach’s son, Zach Cable (son of veteran staffer Tom Cable) is sticking around for a second season as an offensive QC coach. Zach coached under his father with the Raiders from 2018-21.