Chicago Bears 🐻⬇️

J.T. Barrett is in his second season on the Bears' staff as Quarterbacks Coach in 2026.

J.T. Barrett is in his second season on the Bears' staff as Quarterbacks Coach in 2026.

In his first season with Chicago in 2025, Barrett coached QB Caleb Williams to a record-breaking season. Williams set the single season franchise passing record with 3,942 passing yards and set a new career best mark with 27 passing touchdowns. Williams led Chicago to an NFL-best seven fourth-quarter comebacks (postseason included), tied for the second-most by any QB in a season in NFL history. Williams threw just seven interceptions, moving his career INT percentage to 1.2%, the lowest among QBs with 1,000+ attempts in NFL history, as Williams reached 23 career starts without an INT, the most by any QB in their first two seasons in NFL history.

Barrett arrived in Chicago after last three seasons on the offensive staff of the Detroit Lions, most recently serving as Assistant Quarterbacks Coach (2023-24). Barrett helped the Lions' offense average a franchise-record 409.5 yards per game in 2024, averaging a league-high 32.4 points per game and accumulating 68 total offensive touchdowns – the most by any team in the NFL. The Lions, led by QB Jared Goff, ranked No. 2 in the NFL in both total offense (409.5) and passing offense (263.2), as Barrett's work with Goff helped the veteran QB reach single-season career-highs in passer rating (111.8), completion percentage (72.4) and passing touchdowns (37) in 2024. Barrett was elevated to Assistant Quarterbacks Coach in 2023, where he helped Goff lead the NFL in passing first downs (227), throwing for the second-most passing yards by any QB in the NFL (4,575). Under Goff's leadership, the Lions captured their first division title since 1993 and reached the NFC Championship Game for the second time in team history. Over his last two seasons as Assistant QBs Coach (2023-24), no unit averaged more points per game (30.1) or net yards per game (402.2) than the Lions.

Over his three seasons in Detroit, the Lions captured two NFC North Division titles, earning an NFC Championship Game berth in 2023 and reached a franchise-record 15 regular-season wins in 2024.
Barrett joined the Lions in 2022 as an Offensive Assistant, working under first-year offensive coordinator, and current Bears Head Coach, Ben Johnson, and helping Detroit secure eight wins out of their final 10 games to close out the year.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Barrett was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten Conference quarterback at Ohio State, earning Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors on three occasions, including the 2016 season where he was named Big Ten Most Valuable Player. Over his four seasons of action Ohio State (2014-17), Barrett started 44-of-50 career games at quarterback for the Buckeyes, totaling the 104 passing touchdowns, 147 total offensive touchdowns and 12,697 total offensive yards – all Ohio State and Big Ten Conference all-time records.

Barrett became the first-ever three-time team captain in Ohio State history and is the only quarterback from either Ohio State or Michigan to go 4-0 against their rival in the storied annual game. Barrett was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Quarterback of the Year in 2014 and Heisman Trophy finalist, leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record, before sustaining an injury. Ohio State would go on to secure the first College Football Playoff National Championship.

Following his storied career at Ohio State, Barrett spent time with the New Orleans Saints (2018, '19), Seattle Seahawks (2019), Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-20) and Edmonton Elks of the CFL (2021-22).

Barrett is a native of Wichita Falls, Texas.