Tag: Luke Getsy

TE Marcedes Lewis officially re-signs with Bears on 1-year deal

The man known as “Big Dog” is back in Chicago.

Marcedes Lewis is officially back in the navy and orange.

The 40-year-old tight end re-signed with the Chicago Bears on Monday, agreeing to a one-year deal. The signing came just one day after reports surfaced from FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer that the two sides would meet to discuss a deal.

Lewis joined the Bears last summer on a one-year-deal as a veteran leader on a young team. He came into the league in 2006 as a Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, and spent five years with the Green Bay Packers. Despite his age, Lewis showed he’s still considered one of the top blockers in the league, playing an important role as the team’s extra lineman on many different plays. His 77.1 PFF run-blocking grade was fifth among tight ends. Lewis also caught four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Now, Lewis is back, but with new faces in key positions. Gone are his former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and teammate Robert Tonyan, both of whom were instrumental in bringing him to Chicago, as well as quarterback Justin Fields, who was traded in the offseason.

Now, he joins an offense led by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Lewis will also reunite with tight end Cole Kmet and work with newcomer Gerald Everett, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason.

Entering his 19th season, Lewis has seen it all at the NFL level and will be a valuable veteran for Williams and the Bears to lean on. He also has the chance to make history by breaking Jason Witten’s record for most games played by a tight end. He needs to play just four games to pass him. Given that Lewis played in all 17 games in 2023, that feat certainly seems achievable.

Raiders using OTA’s to establish ‘brotherhood’ and ‘lay a foundation’ for new offense

Entire Raiders hit the first today for first time today to begin OTA’s. First priority? Establish ‘brotherhood’ and ‘lay a foundation’

The biggest change coming for the Raiders this season will be a new offense. Gone is Josh McDaniels whose offense failed to even reach 20 points last season and in is new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

There is the matter of installing the new offense and getting it on its feet. But that is not the top priority for Getsy. He knows he has to start from the ground up with his new players.

“It’s important to lay a foundation,” said Getsy as the team heads into its first OTA practice of 2024. “If we can establish our style and the brotherhood that we have in that room, we’re going to be just fine. The schematic part is the second element of it. Guys got to be comfortable being able to react to things that happen. Because the reality of it is that we prepare them and we say it’s going to look like this and we called it for this, but there’s often something that’s slightly different and those repetitions that you get with one another, that’s how you become elite.”

Getsy isn’t the only new piece to this offense. The team went out and signed free agent quarterback Gardner Minshew who is expected to become the new starter. They then made tight end Brock Bowers their pick at 13 overall in the draft, pairing him up with fellow tight end Michael Mayer, who they selected with the 35th overall pick in last year’s draft.

“I’m extremely excited. Brock’s a unique guy,” said Getsy.

“This league is about finding as many dynamic guys and you can get on your team. That’s the goal. As you see all the construction of these teams in the league, you try to find those dynamic differences and he’s just one of those elements that gives us the opportunity to do a bunch of different things.”

Other new offensive weapons include running back Alexander Mattison, wide receivers Michael Gallup and Jalen Guyton, and TE Harrison Bryant.

Along the offensive line, they added second round guard (44 overall) Jackson Powers-Johnson, third round tackle DJ Glaze, and signed veteran guard Andrus Peat to a free agent deal.

While Powers-Johnson is expected to start at one of the guard spots, Glaze will compete with Thayer Munford for the starting right tackle job while Peat will compete for reps either at guard or as a utility guard/tackle.

Those competitions as well as the many schemes Getsy feels he can draw up to best utilize his offensive weapons hits the field today as the entire Raiders team takes the field together for the first time.

Raiders veteran addition Cody Whitehair brings familiarity with Luke Getsy offense

Raiders excited about what Cody Whitehair brings to the offensive line room

All offseason, there seemed one lineman on the market who seemed like a natural fit for the Raiders and it was Cody Whitehair. The former second round pick had started nearly every game of his eight year career and yet was nowhere to be found among any of the top free agent lists.

This seemed odd to me, so I reached out to a Bears reporter to see if there was something I was missing and the response I got was basically that they we just as puzzled by it.

Whitehair had regressed of late, along with some injury issues. But the injuries were nothing major, and his level of play was at or above some other players teams had no issue letting hit the market. Mostly he was due some $10 million in salary, and wasn’t playing up to that level, so he was cut.

With the Raiders hiring former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to the same job, Whitehair seemed like a no-brainer signing. And as of the first report day, Whitehair is in the house, ready to help the rest of the Raiders line get up to speed in their new offense.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Andre James said Monday of having Whitehair onboard. “I was just talking the other day [about] some of the schemes and some of the other things that they ran. It’s always helpful having a guy who’s familiar with the offense, familiar with the scheme and the system especially in the offensive line room. Just to kind of pick his brain and get some of the keys and information that he’s gotten from the long time he’s been there working with the Bears. So, super excited to have him.”

Whitehair played left guard under Getsy in the Bears’ wide zone blocking scheme for two seasons. Prior to that he played both left guard and center for his first six NFL seasons in Chicago.

Steelers trade for Justin Fields would seem to validate Raiders OC Luke Getsy hire

Justin Fields trade suggests the entire NFL shares Raiders opinion that OC Luke Getsy was not the problem in Chicago.

One by one, all the available quarterbacks were either signed as free agents or acquired via trade over the past week. All but one — Justin Fields.

It was obviously the Bears were looking to unload Fields, but the former 11th overall pick was not generating anything near the interest it would have seemed.

Today, the Steelers made a deal to get Fields that showed just how little value teams saw in him.

That’s right, a quarterback who just three years ago was selected just outside the top ten — which is franchise quarterback territory — yields a sixth round pick NEXT YEAR.

That is a serious indictment on him as a player. As they say, it only takes one team to think they can turn a player around and they would easily sent more in trade than what the Steelers just gave up. Which makes for quite a statement that no team did.

That statement essentially is that Fields was the main problem the Bears had with their offense over the past three seasons.

The thing is, however, that the first head to roll when the Bears were attempting to find answers was offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Often times when an OC oversees an offense as bad as the Bears fielded — 28th in points scored in 2022 — and then gets the ax for it, they might have some difficulty finding another OC job quickly.

That was not the case for Getsy who was one of the first hires by new head coach Antonio Pierce. Or at least he was the choice after they missed out on getting Kliff Kingsbury.

Let’s be clear here, this is all about perception. Which means either Getsy or Fields could prove everyone wrong here. But for now, the opinion the Raiders that it was Fields who was the problem with the Bears offense, and not Getsy, would appear to be shared by the rest of the NFL.

Former Bears OC Luke Getsy had high praise for Justin Fields

New Raiders OC Luke Getsy had nothing but praise for Justin Fields during their time together with the Bears.

The Chicago Bears parted ways with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy this offseason, but it didn’t take him long to find a new landing spot with the Las Vegas Raiders in the same role.

During his introductory press conference, Getsy was asked about working with quarterback Justin Fields for two seasons in Chicago. And Getsy had nothing but praise for Fields, both as a talent and a person.

“Tremendous growth for Justin. … Like I said when I was there, he’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever got to work with,” Getsy said, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “It’s just the mentality that he brought every day, the consistent approach, the kind of man that he is. Just really, it was a blessing to work with him and he was someone that just came to work every day to get better and better, and I think he’ll continue to do so.”

Fields’ future is currently up-in-the-air as the Bears face a franchise-altering decision at quarterback. They have the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and a potential generational prospect in Caleb Williams waiting for them.

While Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he expects to take the decision into April — unlike last year when he traded the No. 1 pick before free agency — the expectation is Chicago will wind up trading Fields and starting over at quarterback.

But Fields should garner plenty of interest from quarterback-needy teams not in a position to draft one of the top prospects. Some potential suitors include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and perhaps even the Raiders.

Why the Raiders hired former Bears OC Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator

Luke Getsy left a strong impression on Las Vegas after the Bears dominated the Raiders without Justin Fields last season.

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after two disappointing seasons, where he failed to develop quarterback Justin Fields and struggled to build an offense around his players.

But just one month after being fired by Chicago, Getsy has found a new offensive coordinator role with the Las Vegas Raiders. The move comes after Kliff Kingsbury backed out of the job to take the offensive coordinator position with the Washington Commanders.

New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce explained what impressed him about Getsy, referencing the Bears’ dominant 30-12 win over the Raiders last season with Justin Fields sidelined with a dislocated right thumb.

“(Getsy) whopped our a** when we played them,” Pierce said, via Vic Tafur. “Who was their quarterback? I don’t know. Who was their running back? I don’t know. But they still beat us pretty good.”

The quarterback was undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, making his first NFL start in place of an injured Fields. Chicago was also down starting running back Khalil Herbert, but D’Onta Foreman — who nearly had 1,000 rushing yards last year with the Carolina Panthers — stepped up in his absence.

There’s no denying it was impressive that the Bears were able to win — and in dominant fashion — down their starting quarterback and running back. But it was a bad Raiders team that Chicago dismantled, which helped lead to Josh McDaniels’ firing later in the season.

It wasn’t all bad with Getsy at the helm, as the Bears had a top-two rushing attack in back-to-back seasons. But it was Getsy’s inability to build an offense around his quarterback — and failure to develop Fields — that led to his firing in Chicago.

But, just a month after being fired, Getsy already has a new gig in Las Vegas.

Report: Raiders expected to hire former Bears OC Luke Getsy

According to Albert Breer, the Raiders are expected to hire Luke Getsy as their new offensive coordinator.

Former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has found a new home. According to Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to hire Getsy as their newest offensive coordinator. This comes less than a day after talks with Kliff Kingsbury broke down.

Getsy was fired as Bears offensive coordinator after two seasons when he was unable to get the offense clicking with quarterback Justin Fields. Though the Bears rushing offense led the league in yards per game in 2022 (177.3) and finished second in 2023 (141.1), their passing attack remained stagnant, and the lack of development at the quarterback position was ultimately his undoing.

Now, Getsy gets a fresh start with the Raiders and reunites with wide receiver Davante Adams, whom Getsy coached when he was a member of the Green Bay Packers coaching staff. Prior to his time with the Bears, Getsy spent seven years in Green Bay, coaching a number of positions, including quarterbacks and wide receivers.

The Bears replaced Getsy with former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron nearly two weeks ago.

Raiders quickly move on at OC, near deal to hire former Bears OC Luke Getsy

Raiders quickly move on at OC, near deal to hire former Bears OC Luke Getsy

It didn’t take long for the Raiders to move on from their deal with Kliff Kingsbury falling apart. Hours after realizing Kingsbury would not be taking the offensive coordinator job in Las Vegas, the Raiders are now reportedly working on a deal with former Bears OC Luke Getsy.

Getsy among just three candidates who had interviewed for the job with the Raiders along with UCLA head coach Chip Kelly and Steelers QB coach Mike Sullivan.

While Getsy was just recently fired by the Bears, he is the only of the three interviewed candidates who has recent offensive coordinator experience.

One of the interesting dynamics here is what this could mean for the possibility of the Raiders going after Justin Fields. Getsy was fired because he couldn’t make an offense led by Fields work at a high level. If the Raiders believe Getsy is worth hiring as their OC, it would seem they think the issue was Fields, not Getsy.

Another interesting tidbit is Getsy spent seven seasons in Green Bay, joining the team in 2014 — the same year Davante Adams was drafted. Two of those years he was wide receivers coach and another couple years he was passing game coordinator. So, yeah, the two of them are quite well acquainted.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves as we did when Kliff Kingsbury was also “expected” to be the Raiders next OC. Though usually when that word is used, it actually does happen.

Former Bears OC Luke Getsy ‘well-respected’ around the NFL

Former Bears OC Luke Getsy has drawn interest for multiple offensive coordinator jobs, and it sounds like he’s “well-respected” around the league.

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy following another disappointing outing on offense in 2023. But, to the surprise of Bears faithful, Getsy has drawn interest for multiple offensive coordinator jobs.

Getsy has interviewed with at least three teams for their vacant offensive coordinator jobs — the Las Vegas Raiders, the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints.

“He’s very well-respected,” NFL insider Albert Breer told ESPN 1000’s Kap & JHood. “I think there are people out there that think he did a pretty good job in the last couple of years, all things considered. Bringing Justin along, building an offense for Justin, weathering the injuries, having a rookie quarterback ready to go in Tyson Bagent.

“I would say there are enough people that feel like, you know, that the potential that he had two years ago when he was hired and became an offensive coordinator, that the potential is still there.”

While Getsy has been rightfully criticized in Chicago, the Bears offense did have a top-two run game in two seasons under Getsy. But Getsy showed an inability to make adjustments, adapt his scheme to fit his players and, most importantly, failed to develop Justin Fields, which is why he was let go from the Bears.

Chicago has already moved on with former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who’s been known for building an offense around different quarterbacks. And that’s the biggest question mark for the Bears right now — will they stick with Fields or draft Caleb Williams.

Are the Saints waiting on the 49ers’ Super Bowl to hire a new offensive coordinator?

Are the Saints waiting on the 49ers’ Super Bowl to hire a new offensive coordinator? A couple of popular candidates are tied up until Feb. 12:

The San Francisco 49ers are headed to Super Bowl LVIII, and they’re taking some popular offensive coordinator candidates with them. Passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterbacks coach Brian Griese have both interviewed with the New Orleans Saints at least once. But they cannot be hired as offensive coordinator — with New Orleans or any other team — until after the Super Bowl.

With the Saints’ search for an offensive coordinator dragging out longer than fans may have anticipated, it’s fair to wonder if New Orleans is waiting for Kubiak or Griese to become available.

Earlier this week NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported that the search “has narrowed considerably” and that the Saints “are adhering to league rules as they go through the process.”

That report came just before the Saints interviewed Baltimore Ravens wide receivers coach Greg Lewis and met with ex-Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy for the second time, but it’s still noteworthy. It would suggest that the Saints are abiding by the NFL anti-tampering policy for assistants coaching in the Super Bowl, which states the following:

No Coordinator interviews can be requested, granted, or occur after the Saturday of Conference Championship weekend (Saturday, January 27) for any assistant coach whose club is still participating in the postseason.

So we’re in a dead period. If the Saints have identified Kubiak or Griese as their top candidate (or if they simply want to interview them again and go over the job more thoroughly), they must wait until Feb. 12 to take action. The NFL wants its coaches in the Super Bowl focusing on, well, the Super Bowl. Interviewing with other teams is seen as a distraction.

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