Almost two months have passed since the Chicago Bears overhauled their power structure official. Ryan Poles became the new GM. Matt Eberflus followed as the new head coach. The process was long, thorough, and fair by all accounts. Chairman George McCaskey wanted to ensure it went this way, ensuring the organization explored every possible avenue before a decision was made. Yet even then, the process wasn’t without surprises—both to fans and the actual people involved. Just ask Dan Quinn.
The former head coach had helped the Atlanta Falcons reach the Super Bowl in 2016. Last year he successfully revamped the Dallas Cowboys defense into one of the best in the NFL. His reputation around the league is strong. Most experts were confident he’d get a second head coaching job. While the Denver Broncos were the public favorites, it turns out Quinn himself was sure he’d land in Chicago, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.
Then something changed. Or rather, someone changed it.
“How could that have happened? For weeks, many believed Quinn was the favorite in Denver due to his long, close relationship with Broncos general manager George Paton. And once that job went to Hackett Thursday morning, Quinn believed he was getting the Bears job, league sources told PFN Insider Aaron Wilson…
…Once Paton and Broncos ownership made that call, Quinn’s focus shifted to Chicago. He was one of at least 10 options to replace Matt Nagy. But those hopes were ultimately undermined by the Bears’ decision to hire Ryan Poles as general manager. Poles and Eberflus are both represented by Athletes First agent Trace Armstrong, who is one of the most influential under-the-radar powerbrokers in all of football.
Armstrong not only convinced the McCaskey family to take a chance on Poles, but he also persuaded them to make Eberflus part of the package deal.”
An interesting nugget, to say the least.
The Bears insisted that once Poles was hired, he had the full authority to pick whichever coach he wanted. After meeting with three finalists, including Quinn and Eberflus, he chose the latter. Wilson says that the Poles-Eberflus pairing was set in stone long before the final decision was made. A masterful bit of puppeteering by Trace Armstrong, the former Bears defensive end. Don’t forget there were rumors in January that the organization talked to him about a high-ranking front office position. Something he quickly denied.
Yet it seems there might’ve been at least a kernel of truth to the rumor. After the Eberflus news became official, Quinn swiftly returned to the Cowboys on a new multiyear extension. Some speculated how close he indeed was to the Bears job. Based on this information, he thought it was his. Until it wasn’t.
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Dan Quinn could be a great what-if depending on Eberflus’ tenure
Nobody can deny the coach was by far the more proven option given his success in Atlanta. He came minutes away from winning a championship before Tom Brady did what Tom Brady does. Most believed he would build an excellent staff and learned valuable lessons from his failures after that loss. People wouldn’t have batted an eye had the Bears chosen to go with him. Instead, Poles decided to trust his instincts on Eberflus.
It was a bold decision. They were going with an unproven defensive coordinator with no championship pedigree over a former head coach who’d had success and also has a ring. Many young GMs wouldn’t have had the courage to do that. Poles will be judged on that decision in the coming years. Either it will be viewed as a colossal mistake or one of the most pivotal moments that brought the Bears back to success.
Dan Quinn won’t have to wait long. There is a strong possibility he’ll get that head coaching job next offseason. From there, the measuring stick will be in place.
