J.T. Barrett also coming from Detroit to join Ben Johnson’s staff. He will be the #Bears quarterbacks coach. Served as asst QB coach the previous 2 years for the Lions.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 25, 2025
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback J.T. Barrett will be joining the Chicago Bears as their new quarterbacks coach, as reported by the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Barrett was a part of the Saints for parts of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, with 23 transactions in 2018 alone between being waived, signed, and elevated. He had been working as the Detroit Lions assistant quarterbacks coach.
Barrett, whose NFL career started as an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, was as a backup for Drew Brees and turned to coaching after his last football season in the CFL. He joined another former Saints tie-in with Dan Campbell on the Detroit Lions. He started out as an offensive assistant, and after a year was promoted to being an assistant quarterbacks coach for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He worked closely with QB coach Mark Brunell, another former Saints backup.
He has been a respected coach in a good scheme, and will now make the jump to quarterbacks coach under newly hired Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who bring Barrett with him from the Lions. Both will now have the opportunity to coach up former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams from the 2024 NFL draft, and try and turn him into the player many expected in his first season.
