Could Duce Staley find a new home in Chicago with former colleague Matt Nagy?
It is possible, according to Bears writer Adam Jahns of Athletic Chicago.
Jahns initially tweeted on Friday afternoon that Staley and Nagy had already talked about a job on the Bears coaching staff, but he deleted the tweet, saying, “I ran a little too fast” and then tweeted that Nagy and Staley really didn’t spoke, but added: “There is interest in that.”
Jahns did not specify which role Nagy is considering Staley for, but Charles London, who has served as the Bears’ running back coach since 2018, is expected to join Arthur Smith’s new team with the Falcons as quarterback coach, so from now on the Bears seem to have a spot for a running back trainer.
Staley and Nagy were on Andy Reid’s Eagles team together in 2011 and 2012, when both were quality control technicians – Staley on special teams, Nagy on the attack.
When Chip Kelly replaced Reid, Staley stayed with the Eagles and Nagy left with Reid for Kansas City, going from defender coach to offensive coordinator when Doug Pederson replaced Kelly.
When Pederson in 2016 replaced Kelly, he retained Staley as well, and in 2018 Nagy replaced John Fox as the Bears’ head coach.
Staley spent 17 of his 19 years in the NFL with the Eagles. He ended his career in 2005 and 2006 with Steelers.
There would be many familiar faces in Chicago for Staley.
Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was the coach of the Eagles’ defenders in 2013, the offensive line coach Juan Castillo was with the Eagles under Rhodes and Reid as the tight end coach in 1997, the offensive line coach from 1998 to 2010 and the defensive coordinator of 2011 through the week of 2012. QBs coach John DeFilippo was the coach of Pederson’s QBs in 2016 and 2017. And linebackers coach Bill Shuey played a variety of roles under Reid from 2003 to 2010.
Staley, 45, was unsuccessfully interviewed for the position of chief coach for the Eagles in 2016 and 2021 and for the position of offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2020.
The Eagles have not officially announced that Nick Sirianni will replace Pederson and it remains to be seen whether Sirianni has any interest in keeping Staley on his team or whether there is any position at this point that Staley would consider staying.
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