Longtime NFL play-caller Darrell Bevell was linked to a number of offensive coordinator vacancies during the offseason, but was ultimately left out in the cold after each job was filled. Still only 48 years old, Bevell intends to re-join the coaching carousel in 2019, as he explains to Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.
“It’s always hard,” Bevell said. “But we’ve done a lot of good things in the places I’ve been, so it was just one of those weird years. The next hiring cycle I’m going to be back in.”
While he didn’t land an offensive coordinator job earlier this year, Bevell was certainly in high demand. Both the Cardinals and Vikings interviewed him for their respective OC positions, but the clubs went in separate directions by hiring Mike McCoy and John DeFillipo, respectively. At one time, Bevell was also considered the “top target” for the Colts’ play-calling job (at least, when Josh McDaniels was still expected to end up in Indianapolis), and was on the Giants’ radar, too.
Under Bevell’s command, the 2017 Seahawks finished roughly league-average on offense, ranking 15th in yards, 11th in points, and 14th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, which measures efficiency. Bevell had been an offensive coordinator since 2006, spending five seasons with the Vikings before joining Seattle in 2011. During his dozen seasons as an OC, Bevell’s units have finished as a top-10 DVOA offense five times.
Brad Childress is in Chicago as a consultant/coach with Matt Nagy for one year only (taking HC job in startup league)
Add to it, Mark Helfrich is first time nfl coach and he’s the OC in Chicago with Nagy’s playbook… not a recipe for success.
Bevel could find himself in Chicago with an ascending roster