Photo Caption: Luke Steckel
Prior to the NFL Draft in April, the Chicago Bears and head coach Matt Eberflus announced the hiring of Luke Steckel as the club’s assistant offensive line coach.
According to the Bears, Steckel recently completed his 10th season with the Tennessee Titans and his 14th overall coaching year in the National Football League, also spending time within the Cleveland Browns organization (2009-12).
Most recently in 2022, Steckel finished his second season as the club’s tight ends coach. His group of pass-catchers were responsible for 85-of-285 (29.8 percent) of the Titans receptions on the season, with 54-of-85 (63.5 percent) of those receptions going for first downs.
Rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo took major steps in his development and established himself as a big play threat, leading all rookie tight ends in receiving yards while averaging 14.1 yards per catch in 2022. Okonkwo’s yards per catch average was the 10th highest among all NFL tight ends and the highest by a Titans tight end since 2019. He finished the season being named to the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie team.
In 2021, Steckel worked with a core group of tight ends that included Geoff Swaim, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser.
Swaim set career highs in starts (16), receptions (31) and touchdowns (three), while Pruitt established career bests in receptions (14), receiving yards (145) and touchdowns (three). Firkser totaled 34 catches for 291 yards and a career-best two touchdown receptions.
Meanwhile, the tight ends helped the offense rank fifth in the league in rushing (141.4 yards per game).
In 2020, Steckel was part of an offensive staff that helped the Titans rank second overall (396.4 yards per game), second in rushing (168.1) and fourth in scoring (30.7 points per game). The Titans won their division for the first time since 2008, finishing 11-5 in the regular season.
In 2019, Steckel worked with the Titans wide receivers throughout the offseason and preseason. Second-round draft pick A.J. Brown would go on to lead the 2019 NFL rookie class in receiving yards (1,051), tie for the rookie lead in touchdown receptions (eight), rank fifth among rookies in receptions (52), and place second among all NFL players in receiving average (20.2).
During the 2019 regular season, Steckel’s focus was on the quarterbacks. His work contributed to the success of the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, Ryan Tannehill, who set single-season franchise records and led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating and a passing average of 9.6 yards per attempt. The Titans offense ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per play (6.12) and first in red zone efficiency (75.6 percent).
In 2018, Steckel helped develop a youthful group of wide receivers. Second-year talent Corey Davis led the offense with 65 receptions, 891 receiving yards and four touchdowns, seeing dramatic increases from his rookie campaign (34 catches for 375 yards). His yardage total ranked ninth among all AFC wide receivers.
Steckel was initially hired by the Titans in 2013 as the assistant to the head coach and then began helping with the running backs the following year. In 2016, he worked with Arthur Smith and the tight ends, and in 2017, he served as assistant wide receivers coach.
Prior to joining the Titans, Steckel spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns as the assistant to the head coach. In that capacity, he handled a variety of duties for the head coach and the coaching staff.
Steckel was a three-year letterman as a linebacker at Princeton (2004-06), where he earned a degree in political economy. As a senior, he served as team captain and led the Tigers to a 9-1 record and the Ivy League Championship.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
