untung99.biz: Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan enters his second season as the offensive line coach for the Bears in 2023.

Morgan enters his 24th year of coaching with each of the last 15 coming in the National Football League. Prior to his arrival in Chicago in 2022, Morgan spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2021), Atlanta Falcons (2015-20), Seattle Seahawks (2014), Washington Commanders (2011-13) and Oakland Raiders (2009-10).

In his first season with the Bears in 2022, Morgan helped pave the way for a Bears’ rushing attack which broke a franchise record with 3,014 rushing yards. It was the highest rushing total since the 1984 Bears totaled 2,974 yards. Chicago’s 3,014 yards and 5.4 average were league-best figures in each of their respective categories. The 5.4 yards per carry average was the highest single-season average by a Bears rushing attack since the 1934 team averaged 5.02 yards per carry. In addition, during Weeks 6-10, the Bears rushed for at least 225 yards in five consecutive games, making Chicago the first team in NFL History to rush for 225+ yards in five consecutive games.

Morgan has also been key in the growth of Braxton Jones, who emerged as the club’s starting left tackle during his rookie season. Jones started all 17 games for the Bears, while playing every snap. Dating back to the start of the 1991 NFL season, Jones became just the sixth offensive lineman drafted in the fifth round or later to start a game at left tackle for an NFL team in Week 1 of his rookie season.

In 2021, Morgan assisted with an offensive line that helped pave the way for rookie running back Najee Harris to rush for 1,200 yards, the fourth-highest total in the NFL. Harris’ 1,200 yards also broke Franco Harris’ franchise rookie rushing record of 1,055 yards set back in 1972. Harris totaled 10 touchdowns on the season, seven on the ground and three through the air. His 467 receiving yards were good for the third-highest total among all running backs.

Morgan was named the Steelers’ interim head offensive line coach just prior to Pittsburgh’s Week 17 matchup vs. the Cleveland Browns after Adrian Klemm departed for a coaching job at Oregon. In his first game as the primary offensive line coach, the Steelers rushed for a season-high 190 yards, the most by a Steelers single-game rushing attack in more than four years. The Steelers finished the 2021 season 9-7-1, won three of their last four and received a wild card playoff berth.

Prior to Pittsburgh, Morgan spent the 2015-20 seasons within the Atlanta Falcon’s organization. The 2020 Falcons’ offense recorded the 18th-most total net yards per game behind Morgan’s offensive line, while finishing fifth in net passing yards with 272.7 per game. The offense also finished with the 10th-highest conversion rate on third down (43.9 percent) in 2020, including the fourth-highest (49.4 percent) in the NFL over the final six games of the season.

In 2019, Morgan coached an offensive line whose production allowed the offense to average 379.7 yards per game, the fifth-most in the NFL, and average 294.6 passing yards per game, the third-highest average in the league.

The Falcons selected two offensive linemen in the first round of the 2019 Draft, guard Chris Lindstrom (16th) and tackle Kaleb McGary (31st). Under Morgan’s guidance, both players earned starting roles coming out of training camp. Lindstrom was unfortunately sidelined after suffering an injury in Week 1, but he would return, and the duo started the last four games of the season.

In 2018, Morgan coached an offensive line that blocked for an offense that averaged 389.1 yards per game, the sixth-most yards per game in the league. The offensive line’s blocking was also a major part in the offense averaging 290.8 passing yards per game, which was the fourth-highest average in the NFL.

Under Morgan’s guidance, the offensive line was able to keep quarterback Matt Ryan upright and able to throw for 4,294 yards and 35 touchdowns. The offensive line’s production made it possible for the Falcons to average 6.2 yards-per-play in 2018, which was the fifth-most in the NFL and the second-highest yards-per-play average in franchise history.

Morgan continued to oversee the growth of center Alex Mack, who was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl and his fourth consecutive selection. Tackle Jake Matthews was also selected to his first Pro Bowl under Morgan’s guidance in 2018.

In 2017, Morgan coached an offensive line that allowed only 24 sacks, which was tied for the third-lowest figure in the NFL. Morgan’s offensive line was a catalyst for the eighth-best offense in the league. The Falcons offense averaged 364.8 yards per game and blocked for quarterback Matt Ryan who averaged 249.4 passing yards per game, which was also the eighth highest in the league. Their blocking also helped Ryan reach his seventh straight 4,000 passing yard season.

Morgan also coached Alex Mack in 2017, who was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl after anchoring the offensive line for the second year in Atlanta. Morgan’s offensive line showed its ability to sustain blocks by springing the offense for 230 big plays (plays that are 10+ yards) and allowing Ryan to average 7.8 yards per pass attempt, both of which were the fifth in their categories.

Morgan’s teaching was essential in helping the offensive line block for the Falcons running backs, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry, which was eighth in the NFL in 2017. The offensive line also blocked for an offense that was third in the NFL in explosive runs (12+ yards-or-more).

During his second season with the Falcons, Morgan’s offensive line blocked for Ryan, who was awarded the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award at the end of the 2016 season. The offensive line was a major reason why the team averaged a league-high and franchise-high 33.8 points per game. The Falcons broke the franchise record for most points scored in a season in Week 15, with the help of the offensive line, when they scored 540 total points on the season, which tied them with the 2000 St. Louis Rams for the eighth-most points scored in a season. Ryan threw for a career and franchise-high 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns and also had a career-high 117.1 passer rating, which was the fifth-best all-time passer rating. Morgan also helped coach Mack, who was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance.

Morgan’s offensive line also helped pave the way for a rushing attack that racked up 1,928 yards on that season, which was fifth in the league in 2016. Under his guidance, the offensive line helped running back Devonta Freeman, who finished in the top-10 in rushing for the second year in a row and made it to his second consecutive Pro Bowl.

During Morgan’s first year in 2015, his line helped produce the Falcons’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2011, while giving up the eighth-fewest sacks in the league last year.

Morgan spent the 2014 season as assistant offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks. In 2014, Seattle used eight different starting combinations on the offensive line, including playoffs, and still led the NFL in rushing yards, recording a franchise-high 2,762 yards. In addition to leading the league in rushing last season, the Seahawks offensive line also assisted in helping Seattle lead the NFL in explosive plays (135) and explosive running plays (61) while paving the way to Super Bowl XLIX.

Prior to arriving in Seattle, Morgan was an assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins (2011-13) and Oakland Raiders (2009-10). In 2012, Morgan helped direct a unit that rushed for a team-record 2,709 yards, marking the franchise’s first team rushing crown since 1933 and their club’s first NFC East title since 1999. Also during his time with the Football Team, tackle Trent Williams was selected to two consecutive Pro Bowls in 2012 and 2013.

In 2010, Oakland ranked 10th in the NFL in yards per game (356.6) and sixth in points per game (25.6). Prior to Oakland, Morgan spent the previous five seasons coaching at the high school level in his native Texas, serving as offensive line coach, special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Westfield High School in Houston.

Morgan served as an offensive graduate assistant at the University of Idaho after two years as an assistant coach at Copperas Cove (Texas) High. He played offensive line at the University of Colorado from 1995-1999 and earned his master’s degree in educational leadership at Idaho.

Morgan and his wife, Holly, have three children.