The Chicago Bears have hired another Detroit Lions coach—this time assistant QB coach J.T. Barrett.
Ben Johnson is taking another Detroit Lions coach with him to the Chicago Bears. According to his updated Instagram account, Lions assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett is taking a job as the new Bears quarterback coach. The move was confirmed by Bears reporter Brad Biggs.
Barrett, who is best known for leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship in 2014, has been with the Lions since 2022, where he started his coaching career. He was an offensive assistant his first year in Detroit and has been the assistant quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, serving under quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell.
One of Barrett’s biggest responsibilities this year was working with 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker, who had his first full offseason in 2024 after missing much of his rookie season with a torn ACL.
“Yeah, extremely tight with JT,” Hooker said back in May. “Work with him and Bru(nell) an awful lot. So, you know, JT is just like my big brother. So he’s gonna get on me — little things, big things. He’s gonna make sure that I’m staying level-headed, whether I do something good or not. And when I do, do something good, he’s gonna always celebrate.”
The Bears have now hired three coaches who worked with the Lions in 2024:
- Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — Now the Bears head coach
- WR coach Antwaan Randle El — Now the Bears WR coach/assistant head coach
- Assistant QB coach J.T. Barrett — Now the Bears QB coach
We’re tracking all of the Lions’ latest coaching news and rumors here.
