Former Pittsburgh Steelers WR coach Ike Hilliard is reportedly interviewing for that same role with the Chicago Bears tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport on X.
Hilliard spent two seasons as the Steelers’ WR coach from 2020-21. He was surprisingly let go after the 2021 season when the Steelers brought in Frisman Jackson, who is still serving in that role. When he was let go, there were some players who were reportedly unhappy with it. The Steelers typically sign their assistant coaches to two-year contracts, so Hilliard was one and done in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers’ wide receiver room during those years featured Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Chase Claypool as the primary weapons. While Claypool had a good rookie season, he fell off in subsequent years and ended up being dealt to the Bears prior to the trade deadline in 2022. Smith-Schuster was also injured for much of the 2021 season, so the production from that group wasn’t where it needed to be. To be fair, Johnson was selected to his first and only Pro Bowl that season.
Hilliard served as the WR coach at Auburn in 2022 after departing Pittsburgh and was an interim co-offensive coordinator for the Tigers following the dismissal of head coach Bryan Harsin in October 2022. Auburn went 5-7 that season and had large struggles on the offensive side of the ball. Its leading receiver, Ja’Varrius Johnson, had just 493 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The Bears just brought in former Seattle Seahawks OC Shane Waldron to be their offensive coordinator. If Hilliard gets the job, he will be working under Waldron with a talented group of receivers led by DJ Moore. He would not be reunited with Claypool, however, as he was traded to the Miami Dolphins during the 2023 season.
The Bears currently hold the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could possibly be used to grab highly touted QB Caleb Williams. They also have the ninth overall pick, so they have plenty of ammunition to improve their roster.
