The Chicago Bears haven’t tipped their hand publicly on the head coaching front yet. That isn’t a surprise. There are still three games left to play. Interim coach Thomas Brown already has enough to worry about trying to hold this team together without fielding questions about other coaches meeting the team about the top job. GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren will spend that time doing heavy research and reaching out to various contacts for information about who they should be talking to.
With this organization, it’s important to expect the unexpected. Save for Lovie Smith in 2004, none of their hires over the past 25 years could be called obvious. Dick Jauron, Marc Trestman, and Matt Eberflus came out of nowhere. John Fox was uninspiring, and Matt Nagy was a considerable risk due to inexperience. What nonsense could happen this time? There is no way to know yet. However, one thing is becoming clear. The winds inside Halas Hall are blowing in one direction. SearSTower on Twitter, who’s had lots of accurate info lately, made that clear.
For better or worse, the Bears want a specific type of coach.
Lastly, you will hear lots of things the next couple weeks and months about hiring a coach that will shift the culture and flip this organization upside down. Make no mistake about this. There will be an offensive-minded HC in Halas Hall, known leader of not. I can confirm that even if a non-offensive-minded coach blows them away, if the gap between the non-offensive-minded HC and offensive HC isn’t large, they will still defer to an offensive-minded HC. Caleb is the number one priority right now. And these last weeks have made that even more obvious. This leadership is not going to gamble on revolving doors at OC to develop what feels like, for the first time ever, a franchise QB at Halas Hall. It will be an offensive HC or bust.
The Chicago Bears at least have some common sense.
Caleb Williams has to be their priority. The future of their franchise rests on whether he can develop into a star-caliber player. The talent is there. He’s had a relatively solid season despite atrocious circumstances. Give him a sharp offensive mind as head coach, along with some improved blocking, and this team could make some noise in 2025 and beyond. At least, that is the hope. The good news is the market has some fascinating options this year. Ben Johnson in Detroit is the hottest name. However, Joe Brady in Buffalo and Liam Coen in Tampa Bay have also put together impressive campaigns. One can’t overlook Todd Monken in Baltimore as well. It would be shocking if one of them doesn’t end up on the Chicago Bears’ sideline by next February at the latest.
1. Todd Monken
2. Ben Johnson
3. Joe Brady
This is basically in order of experience, turning around a culture and developing offenses. If it is Brady, I think he can keep Thomas Brown as OC, calling plays from the booth. Brady is doing that in Buffalo, and if he’s on the field, someone needs to have eyes in the booth.
When Brown was added HC duties, his focus on ball distribution for Williams went down the drain, he isn’t ready to do both, but he worked with Brady in Carolina.
Are they seeking a head coach or an OC? I mean OK fine, Ben Johnson is a nice OC on a team loaded with talent. Dead serious- What evidence exists that he is head coach material? Liam Cohen too in Tampa is doing an absolutely excellent job in Tampa with less talent than Detroit. He seems to be a better OC than his predecessor, Canales, who was promoted to Panthers HC. But Liam is an OC and I’m not sure why he’s a HC candidate? Tampa did add RB talent compared to last year which solidified a personnel weakness from… Read more »
Well said Dr.
I agree, but didn’t we get basically the same story with the same quote from SearSTower about three days ago?