Bears' Dowell Loggains to keep Jay Cutler in same offense in 2016

ByJeff Dickerson ESPN logo
Friday, May 13, 2016

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- New Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains believes his strong relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler will offset the offseason departure of Adam Gase, the former Chicago playcaller who was hired as the Miami Dolphins' head coach in January.

"I think [Cutler and I] have a mutual respect," Loggains said Friday. "I think I respect him, and he respects me. I think that when you have that mutual respect, then all dialogue is legal. So whatever I say to him, he knows where it's coming from and vice versa."

Cutler, 33, has plenty of practice adapting to new coaches. Since arriving in Chicago in 2009, Cutler has gone through five offensive coordinators and five scheme changes.

But unlike his predecessors, Loggains said he intends to keep Cutler in essentially the same offense.

"Well, the shell of the offense will stay the same," Loggains said. "It's been the same since coach John Fox has been a head coach. The language and everything will be the same, but it will evolve like it would have if Adam would have been here."

Formerly the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, Loggains spent one season as the Bears' quarterbacks coach before Fox promoted him in January.

In his lone year under Gase and Loggains, Cutler posted a career-high 92.3 passer rating, throwing 21 touchdowns to only 11 interceptions.

Loggains, however, said he feels Cutler deserves the majority of the praise for his unexpected resurgence.

"I don't think Adam or I should take the credit," Loggains said. "I think Jay made the choice to improve and work on the things that we asked him to work on. And I hope that process continues. I'm looking forward to coaching him every day and continuing the process we've made and build off that where we ended last year, but we definitely we could be better."