Andre Curtis enters his second year as the Bears safeties coach in 2024.
Curtis enters the 2024 season with 24 years of coaching experience, including 18 in the National Football League. Prior to his arrival in Chicago, he spent seven seasons in Seattle (2015-21), three in New Orleans (2012-14), three in St. Louis (2009-11) and three within the New York Giants organization (2006-08).
Most recently in 2023, Curtis' group saw continued success on the backend of a historic Bears defense. Second year defensive back Jaquan Brisker made his presence known in the Bears secondary. He started all 15 games he appeared in in 2023 and recorded 105 tackles (66 solo) with nine passes defensed, three quarterback hits, one interception, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Brisker had at least five tackles in 13 games in 2023 season, ranked third on the Bears in tackles and was ranked 13th in the NFL in tackles among defensive backs.Brisker had a career day against the Lions in Week 14. He led the Bears in tackles with 17 (13 solo), a career-high. This was the most tackles by a defensive back in a single game this season and by a Bears defensive back since the 1970 NFL-AFL Merger.Since entering the league in 2022, Brisker ranks eighth in total tackles, tied for third in sacks and tied for 13th in forced fumbles among defensive backs.Veteran safety Eddie Jackson remained the leader on the Bears backend, starting all 12 games he appeared in. Jackson recorded 37 tackles (32 solo) with one interception and five passes defensed. In Week 18, Jackson played in his 100th-career game. Jackson recorded his 350th-career solo tackle and fifth pass defensed of the season in the fourth quarter, and finished the game with six tackles (four solo) and one pass defensed. Jackson has 10 forced fumbles since he entered the NFL, which is tied for sixth among defensive backs during that span.
In 2022, Curtis' first year with the club, the Bears saw considerable growth and progress from rookie second-round pick Jaquan Brisker and All-Pro free safety Eddie Jackson. Brisker made 15 starts in 2022, logging 104 tackles (73 solo), 4.0 sacks, one interception, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed. The 104 combined tackles were the second-most in the NFL by a rookie defensive back, as well as second on the team. His 4.0 sacks are also the most ever by a Bears' rookie. Jackson also enjoyed a resurgent 2022 season before being placed on injured reserve following Week 12. Prior to his IR designation, Jackson ranked third among all NFL safeties in solo tackles (59), fifth in total tackles (80) and was tied for second in interceptions (4). His 80 total tackles in Weeks 1-12 were the most by any Bears defensive back since the start of the 1994 season and his four interceptions are tied for the second-most interceptions by a Bears safety since the start of the 1990 season.
During his tenure in Seattle, six defensive backs combined to make nine trips to the Pro Bowl in Kam Chancellor (2015), Richard Sherman (2015, 2016), Earl Thomas (2015, 2017), Shaquill Griffin (2019), Jamal Adams (2020) and Quandre Diggs (2020, 2021).
In 2021, Curtis coached Diggs to his second-career Pro Bowl selection after recording five interceptions for the second-straight year. Diggs is currently the only player in the NFL to record at least three interceptions in each of the last five seasons. With Curtis' assistance, Diggs also recorded a career-high 94 tackles. Meanwhile, Adams also had a standout season despite missing five games due to injury. Adams finished the season with 87 total tackles, two interceptions and five passes defensed.
In 2020, he coached Adams and Diggs to the Pro Bowl. With Curtis' assistance, Adams set the NFL record for most sacks by a defensive back in a season (9.5) and became the first defensive back to lead his team in sacks since 2011 (Roman Harper, 7.5). Diggs led the team with five interceptions, tying him for fourth in the NFL. In total, Seattle intercepted 14 passes, tying them for 10th in the NFL with 22 takeaways.
The 2019 season saw Griffin earn his first Pro Bowl appearance after he posted a career-high 65 tackles (45 solo) and 13 passes defensed, ranking 14th in the league. Flowers recorded a career-high three interceptions. Curtis also began tutoring Diggs after a mid-season trade with Detroit. Diggs' presence was immediately felt with veteran leadership and three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
By the end of the 2018 season, Seattle's secondary saw three new starters in the backfield in Flowers, safety Bradley McDougald and safety Tedric Thompson, teaming with Griffin.
In 2017, Curtis oversaw Seattle's defensive backs unit, a position he was promoted to in 2016. During the 2017 season, Thomas returned from a broken leg suffered in 2016 and was named All-Pro for the fifth time. He was also selected to his sixth-career Pro Bowl after recording 88 tackles (56 solo) and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. In 2016, Curtis coached Sherman to his fourth Pro Bowl, after the cornerback recorded a team-leading four interceptions in 2016.
In his first season with Seattle in 2015, he worked as an assistant secondary and safeties coach. With Curtis' help, the Seahawks secondary boasted three Pro Bowlers in Chancellor, Sherman and Thomas for the third consecutive season as they helped Seattle rank second in total defense (291.8 ypg) and pass defense (210.3 ypg) in the NFL.
Prior to his arrival in Seattle, Curtis spent two seasons with the New Orleans Saints as the assistant secondary coach (2012-14). In 2014, he worked closely with safety Kenny Vaccaro and cornerback Keenan Lewis. Vaccaro was a PFWA All-Rookie selection as he led the secondary with 93 tackles and Lewis led the team with a career-high four interceptions in 2013.
Curtis joined the NFL as a defensive quality control coach for the Giants from 2006-08. He went on to coach defensive backs/safeties for the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11. In 2011, the Rams finished seventh in the NFL in pass defense (206.7 ypg).
Prior to the NFL, he coached the defensive ends at Georgia Southern (2004-05) and linebackers at his alma mater, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), from 2000-03. While on the VMI staff, Curtis worked for the New York Jets during training camp in 2002. He also assisted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during training camp in 2003 as a part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship.
Curtis was a four-year starter at linebacker for VMI from 1996-99. He started 31 consecutive games and finished with 354 career tackles, while earning second-team All-Southern Conference honors in 1998.
Curtis is a native of Beaverdam, Va., and has a bachelor's degree in economics and business from VMI.
