The Chicago Bears made it clear Matt Nagy won’t be fired midseason. That at least ends one string of speculation. However, most reports still indicate the head coach will be gone once the regular season concludes on January 9th. SM has revealed in the past few weeks that team brass has already begun research on potential candidates they may wish to pursue. While the usual top coordinators are in play, there is also a sense the organization could seek somebody with experience.
Either way, there is one lingering fear among many fans. That the McCaskeys may decide to go for the cheaper options. Somebody that wouldn’t cost a lot of money to acquire. It is believed this is why they always opt for first-time coaches. However, if they really are seeking somebody more proven and experienced? It may likely cost them considerable cash to make a deal happen.
Thankfully it doesn’t seem like that will be a deterrent.
A source indicated that ownership is more than willing to spend the money if the right candidate appears available. George McCaskey is “willing to do whatever to win.” This is the right mindset to have. Playing it cheap at such an important job is never a wise decision. The average NFL head coach makes somewhere between $3-5 million per year. It’ll take more than that to secure some of the more prominent experienced head coaches they might be seeking.
For example, look at the Carolina Panthers with Matt Rhule. Despite never having coached in the NFL, he was highly successful at Baylor. So the organization would have to pay a lot of money to get him out of such a cushy job. He ended up getting $8.5 million per year, making him the 7th-highest-paid coach in the NFL. If the Bears were to target somebody like say Ryan Day of Ohio State? They would probably need a deal upward of $8-9 million per year. That would be a departure for sure.
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To date, Lovie Smith was the highest-paid coach in franchise history at $5.5 million per year. This after taking the team to a Super Bowl.
Chicago Bears plan at head coach hinges on the GM question
While the discussion of the coaching job will continue to get all of the attention, it can’t come into focus because there is no clarity on what the team plans to do at GM. Ryan Pace is on the hot seat as well but nobody is certain how much. Whispers continue to suggest McCaskey likes him a lot and is hesitant to make a change. At the same time, just one winning season since 2015 is hard to explain away to fans.
The Chicago Bears have traditionally let the GM hire the head coach. So one has to think until Pace’s situation is determined, there one be any move for a new one. Then again, maybe the best course of action would be bringing in a big-name head coach and pairing him with a GM he knows and trusts.
They’re so fond of “collaboration” after all.
One thing is for sure. Chicago figures to be a prime destination for most coach and GM hopefuls. A big market team led by ownership that stays out of the way and of course a potential franchise quarterback already in place with Justin Fields. It is a pretty sweet setup. What it comes down to is whether the right people get hired.
