He was the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), a position he assumed in February 2012.
Bates has previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and quarterbacks coach for the USC Trojans football team.
[5] At the end of the 2008 NFL regular season, longtime head coach Mike Shanahan was fired and replaced by Josh McDaniels.
Bates called plays from the field while Morton worked from the coaches' booth in the press box, similar to a previous arrangement run by the Trojans during the 2005–2006 seasons between Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, respectively.
In 2010 Bates withdrew from consideration for the Bears offensive coordinator job, which eventually went to Mike Martz.