The Chicago Bears aren’t moving at what anybody would consider a fast pace with their GM and head coach searches. Something George McCaskey warned would be the case almost two weeks ago. It appears the team is intent on being methodical with this process. That means interviewing several candidates and then whittling the list down from there. As of writing this, the Bears have scheduled second meetings with just two candidates.
GM hopeful Ryan Poles and head coach hopeful Matt Eberflus. What makes this even more confusing is that both men are considered heavy favorites to land jobs elsewhere. Poles in Minnesota and Eberflus in Jacksonville. So it is difficult to say the Bears are close to any sort of decision. Especially on the coaching front. There are some favorites based on rumors. Leslie Frazier, Brian Daboll, Byron Leftwich, and Brian Flores.
They might not be alone though.
The Bears completed two interviews on Saturday the 22nd of January. One with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and the other with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. According to a source, the impression that Quinn made during his interview was “serious.” It appears the Bears came away with something to think about. They may have to think fast though because it appears the coach could come off the market soon.
Sorry I left Hackett out of the tweet
If you're a Broncos fan I would keep your eye on the names Dan Quinn Nathaniel Hackett and Jonathan Gannon.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 23, 2022
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Quinn has been considered the favorite for the Denver Broncos job since the offseason began. He and their GM George Paton have a history. They’ve wanted to work together for a long time. Many feel this union is a foregone conclusion. Yet it sounds like Jonathan Gannon is gaining steam in that race. So if the Bears did want to make a push for Quinn, they might have a better opportunity than people think.
Chicago Bears have some good candidates to sort through
Many feel Quinn was one of the best going into this cycle. He had success during his first head coaching stint in Atlanta, taking the Falcons to a Super Bowl in 2016. Despite never quite getting the job done there, he rebounded swiftly by turning around Dallas’ underachieving defense into one of the NFL’s best. There are also reports that he has a strong staff lined up if and when he does land a job somewhere.
The truth is the Chicago Bears won’t tip off their hand until they line up more second interviews with some of these guys. To date, it is known that Quinn, Flores, Leftwich, and Daboll interviewed well. Frazier is considered a favorite due to his success in Buffalo and his deep ties to Chicago as an ’85 Bears alum. It isn’t a bad list to choose from. Much of it might come down to who they choose for their new GM as well.
Quinn has the qualifications.
He can coach defense with the best of them and proved in Atlanta he can also get the most out of his quarterback. The two best passing seasons Matt Ryan ever had were both under Quinn in 2016 and 2018. If anybody is prepared for this opportunity in Chicago, it would be him.
