📰 NEWS FLASH: When Brad Biggs says “watch this name,” history says he’s usually onto something ⚡.DH

The Bears’ next coaching hire probably won’t trend on social media. It won’t dominate debate shows. And it won’t come with a dramatic press conference.

That may be precisely why it matters.

As Chicago reshapes its staff under Ben Johnson, one quiet name has emerged as someone worth watching: Eric Studesville. When Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs mentions a candidate, it’s rarely accidental. And this one carries layers that don’t show up at first glance.

Studesville is being linked to the Bears’ running backs coach position — the role vacated by Eric Bieniemy when he returned to Kansas City. On the surface, it sounds like a step down for someone with Studesville’s résumé. Underneath, it feels more intentional.

Few assistants in the league are as universally respected — or as quietly durable.

Studesville has been with the Miami Dolphins since 2017, surviving three head coaches in an industry defined by turnover. Before that, he spent seven years in Denver, outlasting four different head coaches and even stepping in briefly as interim head coach. Earlier still, he navigated coaching changes in Buffalo without losing his footing.

There’s a reason for that.

Coaches don’t keep assistants around for that long unless they add value beyond their position group. In Miami, Studesville’s role expanded steadily. By 2021, he was named co-offensive coordinator. By 2022, associate head coach. His influence grew because his trust level did.

That versatility is exactly what Chicago may be targeting.

While running backs are his specialty, Studesville has lived inside offensive systems, navigated locker rooms, and served as a stabilizing voice during transitions. Those traits don’t make headlines — but they matter deeply for a young staff trying to establish credibility.

So why would he consider Chicago for a role that appears smaller than his current title?

The same reason Eric Bieniemy did a year ago.

Belief.

Belief in what Ben Johnson is building. Belief that being early in the process matters more than titles on paper. And belief that the structure taking shape in Chicago could be worth attaching himself to.

There’s also something more personal at play.

Chicago is where Studesville’s NFL coaching career began. The Bears hired him as an offensive quality control coach back in 1997. He stayed through 2000, working with wide receivers and special teams. This isn’t unfamiliar territory — it’s formative ground.

At 58, with decades of experience behind him, returning to where it started carries weight, whether anyone admits it publicly or not.

Studesville is also from Madison and went to UW–Whitewater. “Coming home” doesn’t guarantee decisions — but it often influences them quietly.

None of this guarantees a hire. There are other candidates. Other opportunities. Other paths.

But when a respected insider flags a name like this, it’s rarely about speculation for speculation’s sake. It’s about timing, fit, and momentum — the things that don’t show up in press releases until after the ink dries.

If Chicago does land Studesville, it won’t be flashy. It won’t change expectations overnight.

But it might say something important about how the Bears see their next phase: steady, deliberate, and built by people who know how to survive the league’s hardest rooms.

And sometimes, the most revealing moves are the ones that almost slip by unnoticed.