“Brilliant.” “Detailed.” “Hard-Working.” All have been words used to describe new Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy. With the, well how can I put it, bad offensive production shown by the Bears in recent years, it’s easy to get excited about a guy like Getsy. He’s young, instrumental in the success of the Packer’s offense, and has high praise from some of the great mind’s around the league. How will he perform in the Bears offense? Let’s take a dive into Luke Getsy, and what can be expected.
Where did Luke Getsy Come From?
Getsy began his career as a player, playing Quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Akron. Getsy became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Akron history, setting 24 school records and winning MVP of the Mid-American Championship game in 2005. He pursued a coaching career shortly after.
Luke Getsy’s Coaching Experience?
Getsy has experience at nearly every level of football as a coach, and is only 38 years old. Starting as a grad assistant at Akron, he bounced back and forth in different roles in the college ranks. In 2014, he was hired by the Green Bay Packers as an offensive quality control coach. He was quickly promoted in 2016 to the role of wide receivers coach. It was here where he developed a relationship with Davante Adams, and was crucial in turning him into the star we know him as today. Here’s a comparison of Adams stats before and after Getsy’s role as wide receivers coach;
2015 (Pre-Getsy) Stats: 12 Starts, 94 Targets, 50 Receptions, 483 Yds, 9.7 Y/R, 1 TD
2016 (Getsy) Stats: 15 Starts, 121 Targets, 75 Receptions, 997 Yds, 13.3 Y/R, 12 TDs
After the 2017 season, Getsy returned to the college ranks, being hired by Mississippi State as a full time OC and wide receivers coach. After an 8-5 record, Getsy then in turn returned to the Green Bay Packers as the quarterbacks coach. He was promoted in 2020 to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. During that job from 2020-2021, Getsy helped lead QB Aaron Rodgers to back-to-back NFL MVP awards. While it’s unfair to credit the consistent greatness of Rodgers to Getsy, his role as passing game coordinator sure did work for Rodgers’ benefit. Here are Rodgers Stats before and after Getsy became the passing game coordinator:
2019 (Pre-Getsy) Stats: 4,002 Yds, 26 TDs, 4 INT, 95.4 QB Rating
2020 (Getsy) Stats: 4,299 Yds, 48 TDs, 5 INT, 121.5 QB Rating, NFL MVP
After the 2021 season, Getsy interviewed for a Head Coaching job in Denver, and Offensive Coordinator for both Carolina and Chicago, where he was ultimately hired to join Matt Eberflus’s staff.
What style of offense will Luke Getsy run?
In the words of Getsy himself, “This is a quarterback driven offense,” When put like that, it’s a relatively simple answer; he will accommodate to the strengths of Justin Fields. That’s a breath of fresh air when compared to the philosophy of Matt Nagy. What exactly would that entail? Well, when looking at the Packers offense Getsy helped orchestrate, you can expect many plays in accordance with a “Shanahan” style offense – Emphasis on RPO’s, bulk run’s to open up space for the deep ball, mesh routes, and play action. It’s refreshing to hear a modern NFL offense has finally arrived in Chicago.
What Steps Have the Bears Taken to Ensure the Offense will be Successful?
GM Ryan Poles has made signings and draft picks to make sure the offense has players to match Getsy’s style. This includes signing a top pass protection blocker in Michael Schofield, signing gadget fullback Khari Blasingame, drafting young agile lineman in Braxton Jones and Zachary Thomas, and drafting the shifty-deep threat Velus Jones Jr. Signing Equanimeous St. Brown, while initially seen as a depth signing, has become more and more crucial as training camp progresses. He’s formed a connection with Justin Fields and has been a major player in camp. Previously playing in the Packers offense, he is comfortable and aware of what Getsy desires in his players and what kind of offense he runs. St. Brown has a real chance of playing a productive role in the development of the offense as a unit.
What Now?
We will get our first real look at the Bears revamped offense when they face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on August 13th. Head Coach Matt Eberflus recently stated that the starters will play a “good amount,” during Week 1 of preseason, so it will be interesting to see what personnel Getsy chooses to play, and what roles they have in the offense. Getsy’s previous experience and success is a good sign for the future of the Bears offensive unit. Excitement is surprisingly plentiful, player morale is high, and anticipation continues to grow for this new team.
Let’s see if Getsy can rise to the expectations.
