In case you somehow have missed the conversation for the past three weeks, Matt Eberflus is on the hot seat. The Chicago Bears have crumbled from 4-2 to 4-6 over the last month. Much of it can be traced to the head coach’s poor decision-making in two gut-wrenching losses to Washington and Green Bay. A recent poll revealed that 90% of Bears fans are done with him. They want a change. His inability to solve the offensive issues and horrible situational awareness makes it clear his ceiling has been reached. It is time for a change.
The question is, who will replace him? Rumors are flying about Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and even an in-house move to Thomas Brown. However, Bleacher Report revealed the expectation that Chicago would pull arguably its biggest swerve of the new millennium at head coach by bringing in a controversial name.
Gruden to the Chicago Bears would be completely unprecedented.
The McCaskey family has a long history of avoiding coaches with big personalities. Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Eberflus all prove this. Gruden is notorious for being outspoken, demanding, and having a massive ego. He’s loud and boisterous. Another part of this is his track record. Since emerging on the scene in the late 1990s, Gruden has worked almost exclusively with veteran quarterbacks. It started with Rich Gannon in Oakland, then Brad Johnson, Brian Griese, and Jeff Garcia in Tampa Bay. After finally returning to Las Vegas a few years ago, he inherited Derek Carr. Taking over the development of Caleb Williams would be a departure for him.
Nobody can dispute his success. He had winning records with both the Raiders and Buccaneers, won a Super Bowl in 2002, and posted a top-15 offense ten times. He also seemed open to the Chicago Bears job when asked about it on Pardon My Take. There is no question that the hire would grab headlines. It just doesn’t seem like something this organization would consider.
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A swerve would be hiring Gruden’s son, Jaime Gruden, conceived illegitimately during Gruden’s first time coaching the Raiders while on a coaches sabbatical across the border.
This is less likely than the Bears hiring Lovie Smith for a second time. The McCaskeys won’t hire Gruden because of the stuff that came out in the Commanders investigation.
Even if it could happen, the NFL left Gruden behind a decade ago. No one serious about winning would hire him as a HC.
If you want a coach who can truly affect his quarterback– how about the “bald-headed boy genius,” Matt Nagy?
In less than three years, “B-HBG” has transformed his All-Pro QB, Patrick Mahomes, into a pretty average-ooking NFL QB.
It’s gotta be “the whys.”
Gruden? Hell no!!! Instead of old retreads, how about a top OC like Ben Johnson (Lions), Joe Brady (Bills), Todd Monken (Ravens), or Kliff Kingbury (Wash)? Johnson’s Lions have been Top 3 offense with great balance running and passing. The Bills under Brady are still a top offense despite losing All Pro WR Stefon Diggs. Kingsbury has played to Daniels strengths in Wash. And the Ravens Monken crafts tough matchups for defenses and enabled Lamar to put up his best passing numbers ever. Success breeds success. Bears need a TOP OC to be HC especially if they are involved in… Read more »
Gruden? Gruden,…..hmmm, who is Gruden again? Sounds familiar but can’t quite place him. When was he relevant? Is he the guy who came into the league in 1998 and immediately won a SB and had a record of 20 games over .500 in his first 5 years? Oh, thats the guy. What has he done since dial up internet went extinct? That Tampa team that won the SB in his 1st season in 2002? Yeah, take a look at how the following 6 seasons went. Then follow him to his 2nd stint on the Raiders and you’ll see a complete… Read more »