Matt Eberflus (left) worked for Frank Reich (right) with the Colts from 2018 through ‘21 and has always spoken highly of him.
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Offense has never been the Bears’ forte, and they’ll be searching for someone new to help solve that problem after firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Wednesday.
The uncertainty at quarterback will complicate their next hire. Justin Fields has one year left on his rookie contract, and the Bears could activate his 2025 option, but general manager Ryan Poles also holds the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second year in a row.
Helping draft a new quarterback and getting to mold a potential star like USC’s Caleb Williams could be enticing to candidates, but the best ones likely will be interviewing for head-coaching jobs. With head coach Matt Eberflus staying on, the Bears could be somewhat limited in their options.
Here are 10 that make sense:
Reich was Eberflus’ boss when he was the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2018 through ‘21, and Eberflus has always spoken highly of him. In 10 seasons as a coordinator or head coach, Reich guided a top-10 offense five times and was the Eagles’ coordinator for their 2017 championship team.
He did, however, get fired each of the last two seasons. The Panthers hired him as head coach and tasked him with developing No. 1 pick Bryce Young, but fired him after a 1-10 start as Young floundered. He said he likely would retire after losing that job, but Eberflus could convince him otherwise.
Bieniemy has been a hot head-coaching candidate for years, but curiously has never gotten the job. The Chiefs were top-six in points each of his five seasons as offensive coordinator (he was on staff for both of their recent championship teams), and the Commanders were 24th last season. There was friction between him and Commanders players as well.
One advantage for the Bears: Poles was in Kansas City with Bieniemy from 2013 through ‘21 and should know everything there is to know about him.
The former Bears tight ends coach doesn’t call plays in Miami, but he can probably do better: the Panthers put in an interview request with him for head coach. The Dolphins have been an offensive juggernaut this season, leading the NFL in yards and finishing second in points.
If the Bears decide to draft Williams, it’d make a ton of sense for the former Cardinals head coach and play-caller to come along with him. His style, though, might not mesh. Kingsbury ran the Air Raid offense in college and a similar spread style with the Cardinals. Both are pass-first approaches that could spell trouble in cold weather.
He developed Lamar Jackson and could be appealing to the Bears if they decide to stick with Justin Fields. He’s been linked to Jim Harbaugh, though, if the Michigan coach returns to the NFL. Jackson won an MVP with Roman — and appears set to win one without him at the end of the regular season.
The 37-year-old Brown is a Sean McVay disciple who was just named one of the league’s five best offensive coordinators by the NFLPA. The downside: he was just part of a shipwreck in Carolina, which bungled the development of No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, the Alabama quarterback who flopped in Year 1.
Caldwell is well-respected by Bears chairman George McCaskey. He was one of the three finalists for the head coaching job that went to Eberflus two years ago. He knows the NFC North after being the Lions’ head coach from 2014-17. He’s similarly dinged by the Panthers’ failures this season.
Eberflus considered him two years ago — they’re friends from their time together with the Colts from 2018-20. He followed head coach Nick Sirianni to Indianapolis in 2021.
Seeking out C.J. Stroud’s position coach would be a wise move for the Bears. Johnson coached alongside Eberflus with the Colts from 2019-21, first as a diversity fellow and then as a quality control coach. The former Texas A&M quarterback spent parts of 2013 on the Bears’ practice squad.
He’s only 36, but the son of Super Bowl winning head coach Gary Kubiak has served as offensive coordinator for the Vikings, quarterbacks coach for Russell Wilson in Denver and, this year, a pass game coordinator for the 49ers. The 49ers’ style would work in cold weather, and Eberflus has stressed the importance of physical offensive football.
