The Chicago Bears enjoyed their best season in nearly a decade, capturing the NFC North title and advancing to the divisional playoffs. But success has its costs: teams are now looking to poach staff members who helped shape the culture that head coach Ben Johnson established.
Most notably, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle recently agreed to join the Baltimore Ravens, leaving a key vacancy on Johnson’s offseason agenda. While filling that role is a top priority, it could also create an opportunity for Johnson to disrupt the Detroit Lions.
Detroit recently hired Drew Petzing as their offensive coordinator. According to Mike Payton of A to Z Sports, Petzing would likely have been Johnson’s top choice to replace Doyle in Chicago. With Petzing already off the table, Johnson may instead make a phone call that could complicate Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s plans and potentially lure offensive line coach Hank Fraley to Chicago.
Fraley as a Strategic Option
Payton noted that Petzing and Johnson share a long history, dating back to their time at Boston College, and hold very similar offensive philosophies. “They like to run the ball the same way, are both aggressive in play-calling, and use tight ends similarly,” he wrote. “It would have been an ideal fit.”
Petzing’s personal connection to Johnson, including serving as a groomsman at his wedding, made him a natural candidate for Chicago’s coordinator job—but with him in Detroit, that door is closed. Enter Hank Fraley.
Johnson had previously attempted to bring Fraley to Chicago last year, but the Lions’ decision to give him a raise kept him in Detroit for the 2025 season. Payton suggested there’s little stopping Fraley from interviewing for the Bears’ offensive coordinator role, which could serve as a subtle jab at Detroit’s coaching staff.
Fraley and Johnson share a professional history in Detroit, arriving a year apart—Fraley in 2018 and Johnson in 2019. Both climbed the ranks, with Fraley becoming offensive line coach in 2020 and Johnson moving up to offensive coordinator in 2022. That personal and professional relationship could make it easier for Johnson to convince Fraley to join him in Chicago, forcing the Lions to search for a replacement just a year after offensive line issues contributed to losing the division title to the Bears.
In the high-stakes world of the NFL, moves like this are par for the course. And if Johnson succeeds, it would be another way for him to get back at the Lions while bringing a trusted colleague into his own staff.
