The New York Jets have already begun interviewing potential head coach candidates. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have remained silent. It isn’t clear why. Most likely, they would prefer to be respectful to interim coach Thomas Brown by waiting until after Sunday. Whatever the case, most believe the search will be extensive, involving anywhere from 12 to 14 candidates. GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren want to be thorough. However, anybody with common sense knows there is likely a short list of names the Bears brass prefer.
Fans believe Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is on that list. He’s expressed interest in the job and seems to love the idea of working with Caleb Williams. His track record as an offensive mind speaks for itself. However, Conor Orr and Albert Breer of the MMQB don’t get the sense that Johnson is the favorite. His more likely landing spot is Jacksonville due to pairing with a likely familiar GM and facing less pressure in a smaller city. The Bears are aiming in a different direction.
It involves one common requirement.
In Chicago, there are some established layers at the top with GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren. Poles, despite the issues with the coaching staff, has put a solid team on the field that was 4–2 before a season-altering Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders. To me, it wouldn’t be outrageous to see Johnson and the Jaguars more mutually drawn, while the Bears could be more attracted to someone such as Mike Vrabel or, the No. 2 name on my Matt Eberflus replacement list from a few weeks back: Brian Flores. Flores would be able to clean up the Bears’ game management issues and would arrive with a fresh perspective on how to staff and align the offensive side of the ball around Caleb Williams.
The Chicago Bears seem to feel they need a culture shock.
That is to say, the locker room requires a head coach who isn’t afraid to carry a firm hand. That was most definitely the case with Vrabel and Flores during their first head coaching stints. Both were known for being hard-nosed, detailed, and disciplined. Vrabel had four straight winning seasons in Tennessee before roster mismanagement caused things to fall apart. Flores got Miami back-to-back winning seasons but never quite got the offense on track due to constant coordinator changes and a rift with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Plenty of fans don’t like this idea. Vrabel and Flores are both defensive guys. That means they can’t possibly promise a stable situation for Williams, which must be the team’s priority. Still, if you’re looking for anything close to a guarantee of cleaning up the bad habits on this roster, it is easy to see why those two are getting the attention.
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@Veece — Ozzie Newsome got more time based on his “performance” as a competent NFL GM. Ryan Poles’ performance has been dreadful — considering his overall first pick position in back-to-back NFL drafts. Check out Dan Durkin’s recent 3-part evaluation of Ryan Poles’ reign as Bears GM. The Windy City Gridiron writer also posts on X as djdurkin. And, Durkin never even considers how Poles could have maneuvered in the 2024 NFL Draft — and still ended with Caleb Williams (or, at “worst” any of the other five exceptional QBs — Daniels, Maye, Penix, McCarthy and Nix). Ryan Poles has… Read more »
@TGena You’re missing the point!
The Ravens under GM Newsome had several lousy seasons to get Top Draft picks like #4 LT JOgden. Those three consecutive LOSING seasons of just 4-6 wins did not ‘disqualify’ Ozzie from continuing as GM. That’s the difference.
BTW, Ozzie chose Marchibroda as his failed HC before hiring Billick to win Super Bowl in 2000.
It takes time to turn a team around even with one of the best OTs and LBs (Ray Lewis) ever on your roster!
Just pointing out the facts.
I believe Poles should get the same consideration but won’t.
@Veece — You miss an important point completely. What Ozzie Newsome brought to the Ravens in his 23 years (as what Ron Wolf brought to the Packers in his 9 years) was value — throughout the organization. Neither man was perfect; yet each man made virtually every element of the enterprise better. Continuing with an inept judge of NFL talent, proficiency, heart and value, such as Ryan Poles, will not magically transform into a Newsome nor a Wolf. Look to the most recent exceptional GMs (those hired after Poles in this list) Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Vikings), Omar Khan (Steelers), Monti Ossenfort… Read more »
Vrabel and Flores may well be on the wish list, but other teams have wish lists. There are many dogs in the hunt not just the Bear dog. By the way, who is doing the selecting. The definition of stupid is having a repeat of the same to expect a different outcome. Keep in mind the three years of Poles had as many wins (fifteen) as the Chiefs this year. It time for a change cause any change is for the better. Many are questioning the depth of the offensive defensive and cultural acumen to build a winning culture, for… Read more »
@TGena You gloss over without citing that Newsome drafted Ogden and RLewis because of lousy teams. But he also had 4 1st round busts and 6 2nd rounders that never started or contributed. But the coaching was excellent after departing Cleveland. Success didn’t happen overnight. He was allowed to continue what he started not get the axe after just 3 years. Stability is important. And he eventually built a winner and Super Bowl Champion. Today, we want instant gratification. We blame the GM for not having a crystal ball on particular failures while ignoring the successful moves he did make.… Read more »