Worth watching for Bears? Lions WR praises coordinator Jim Bob Cooter

Lions wide receiver Golden Tate doesn’t want Jim Bob Cooter, his offensive coordinator, to go anywhere.

“I hope to have Jim Bob here for as long as I’m here, at least,” he said. “He’s doing a heck of a job.”

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If the Bears are in the market for a coach in January, they could change that. They tried to interview Cooter, 33, who had worked for coach John Fox in Denver, for their offensive-coordinator job in 2015. The Lions refused to grant them permission.

Cooter’s reputation has only grown since the Lions promoted him from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in Week 8 of the 2015 season.

The Lions are 5-4, but their average of 27.1 points per game is sixth-best in the NFL. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is fifth in the league with 273.4 passing yards per game.

“Very smart guy,” said Tate, the Lions’ leading receiver. “He puts a lot of work into it. But what sticks out the most is that he studies what guys do the best and puts them in situations to execute.”