Matt Eberflus knew he had to shake things up once the off-season began. By far, the biggest decision was overhauling the offensive coaching staff. It didn’t take long for him to zero in on Shane Waldron as the new offensive coordinator. That deal came together quickly. However, the Chicago Bears soon ran into a snag. Waldron’s preferred choice for wide receivers coach, Sanjay Lal, opted to join the Los Angeles Chargers instead. That forced Eberflus to search for other options. After some research and phone calls, he liked what he heard about Chris Beatty, the Chargers’ former receivers coach. However, it wasn’t until he got a resounding nod of approval from DJ Moore that things came together.
The star Bears receiver worked with Beatty for two years at Maryland in college. Moore told Eberflus that he was unquestionably the best receivers coach he had ever worked with. That sealed it for the Bears head coach, who documented the process on 1920 Football Drive.
For Moore to say something like that is worth noting. Keep in mind he’s worked with Jim Hostler and Tyke Tolbert. Both of those men have Super Bowl rings. That should give you an idea of how highly the receiver thinks of Beatty. His reputation goes beyond his stint at Maryland, too.
Beatty had a direct hand in Jordan Matthews’ rise at Vanderbilt and played a pivotal role in recruiting Jordan Addison to Pitt. If that wasn’t enough, he got a career year out of Mike Williams in 2021 and helped mold Josh Palmer into a capable third receiver for the Chargers. Keenan Allen also had the second-best season of his career in 2023 under his watch. If anybody is qualified to oversee the development of Rome Odunze and the other young receivers on the roster, it is Beatty.
One must give credit to Eberflus. Some head coaches wouldn’t bother getting the opinions of players on whichever assistant coaches they plan to hire. However, he understood DJ Moore had a unique perspective on Beatty that could prove valuable. Once the receiver gave the thumbs up, the rest was a formality. It sounds like Beatty has a keen understanding of how to get his players’ attention. If veterans like Moore and Allen will listen to him, the young guys should fall in line quickly.
