(670 The Score) New Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy boasts a simple philosophy on offense.
"We have to dive into what everybody does best," Getsy said. "And it starts with the quarterback.
"And then we're going to marry that to what the other guys on the football field do well."
That's Getsy's mindset as he arrives to the Bears as the new leader of their offense, a 36-year-old first-time NFL coordinator tasked with developing quarterback Justin Fields into a star. He was hired to Chicago on Jan. 29 without a particular playbook or scheme for the Bears to run. Getsy wants to build an offense for Fields and the 10 players on the field. Now their work begins.
When the Bears hired the defensive-oriented Matt Eberflus as their new head coach on Jan. 27, it became imperative to hit on the selection of offensive coordinator. Eberflus wasted no time in appointing Getsy, who previously served as the Packers' quarterbacks coach.
Though Getsy has never served as the primary play-caller or leader of an offense, Eberflus was sold on his belief to build a system around the personnel. Their ideas meshed – on everything from function of an offense to styles in leadership – and the Bears made the hiring of Getsy official three days later.
Eberflus sees Getsy as an "innovative" mind on offense, believing he could best suit Fields with the right scheme to be successful.
"What does that mean and what does that look like? Well, I don't know yet," Eberflus said. "We have to look at him, evaluate him, see where he is, where his skill set is and then see his game. How does he see the game? How fast does he process? How fast does he do things? And then how can we stretch him as we go?
"We're building the offense around the quarterback, and that's what you do. You start with the running game and build the pass concepts off what he can do well. Let's do that, and then let's grow and grow and grow.
"You got to be creative on offense. You just do."
The players-first philosophy from Getsy is a stark difference from former Bears head coach Matt Nagy, who was hired to Chicago in 2018 offering a foundation from the Chiefs' system of offense with head coach Andy Reid.
Nagy was never able to produce for the Bears what Reid has with the Chiefs, leading to his firing after four seasons last month. Getsy brings a departure from prioritizing scheme.
How Getsy and Eberflus fare with the Bears initially will depend on Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft. The 22-year-old Fields was the last great gamble by former general manager Ryan Pace and Nagy, a dynamic but raw quarterback inherited by a new regime.
Fields is a dual-threat talent who offers the Bears great potential in both the running and passing game. Getsy first met Fields last year during a pre-draft interview and came away impressed with his desire to be great.
"I'm willing to do whatever to win," Fields said of working with the Bears' new staff. "I'm willing to put however much work there needs to be to win."
How the Bears restock their offense around Fields will start with new Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who has preached a careful process in free agency and strong emphasis on the draft. Chicago has an incumbent running back in David Montgomery entering the final season of his rookie contract and an established receiver Fields trusts in Darnell Mooney
But the Bears need significant upgrades in the personnel around Fields, both at skill positions and on the offensive line. That's the job of Poles and his front office as they lay a foundation.
As for Getsy, he hopes to simply fulfill the vision and potential of those around him.
"That's the purpose of the offensive coordinator," Getsy said. "To dive into what the people do well, what they do best, and then build the offense around that."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
