The Chicago Bears are two games away from making what will be their fourth head coaching change of the past decade. Not exactly the stability an organization strives for. Especially when knowing a team like Pittsburgh has had exactly three head coaches since 1969. Finding somebody who can be that consistent winner for the franchise remains elusive. Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith both had strong runs. Sadly Matt Nagy couldn’t reach their level despite such a promising start.
As George McCaskey prepares to reshape the power structure, a lot of Bears fans are left wondering what the level of interest will be in that job. A number of experts have said it should be one of the best available. Yet Bill Barnwell of ESPN doesn’t see it that way. In his rankings of the top seven possible head coach openings this cycle, the Bears ranked a distant 6th. Trailing even teams like Carolina and Minnesota.
So why the pessimism?
Barnwell seems to think a lot of it stems from two key factors. The Bears’ thin and older roster along with a general lack of necessary draft picks to help fix the problem. A byproduct of GM Ryan Pace’s aggressive approach over the past several years. While the presence of a talented young quarterback in Justin Fields does help, the problems run far deeper than that with this team.
“I’m excited about Fields’ potential — and a tough schedule has masked a league-average performance by Sean Desai’s defense this season — but there’s still a lot to worry about with this job. Years of trading up in the draft have left the Bears with a thin roster, as Pace’s aptitude in finding useful players in the middle rounds of drafts has been countered by a lack of picks. They will be down their first- and fourth-round selections in 2022, and they feel light-years behind the Packers in the NFC North. Things can move fast if Fields excels in Year 2, but there’s a staggering amount of work to be done to give him a reasonable chance of success.”
While there is no question the Bears have issues to sort out, it’s hard to feel like things are that dire. Despite the age problem with some of their core players, they also have several youngsters that are starting to emerge. Jaylon Johnson and Roquan Smith look like cornerstones on defense. Mooney is a strong target in the passing game. Rookie tackle Larry Borom has also looked like a keeper. Teven Jenkins, Thomas Graham, and Khalil Herbert have also flashed as rookies. The cupboard isn’t that bare.
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Chicago Bears will attract plenty of attention
Remember this is about the big picture. The team does need work. They wouldn’t be changing head coaches if they didn’t. Yet the allure of the job should be high. It’s a charter franchise in one of the biggest sports markets in the world. Winning in Chicago makes you royalty for life. The Bears have a highly talented quarterback to work with in Fields and a core of young pieces scattered across the roster that can form the foundation of a quick turnaround.
Most importantly the coach wouldn’t have to worry about meddling from above. The McCaskeys have long been non-invasive ownership that prefers to sit back and let the football people do their jobs. Sure the team doesn’t have a lot of draft picks next offseason and a lot of pending free agents. No coach coming in will be thinking about just 2022. They’ll have a vision for two or three years down the road.
By then the picks and money shouldn’t be a huge concern anymore.
The truth is the head coach question can’t be answered by the Chicago Bears until they determine who the GM will be. Ryan Pace remains a mystery as to what the team will do with him. If the McCaskeys decide to keep him in charge, that might actually hurt their chances of luring top coaches more than anything. No coach will want to hitch their wagon to a GM that might start 2022 on the hot seat.
