The Chicago Bears interviewed former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll for their head coaching job on Thursday.
The 73-year-old Carroll is looking to return to the sideline after moving into an advisory role with the Seahawks at the end of last season. He led Seattle to its lone Super Bowl championship during a 14-year run that included 10 trips to the playoffs. He also won a national championship at Southern California, making him one of three coaches to win the top NFL and college prizes along with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer.
Chicago also interviewed Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on Thursday. They interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel a day earlier.
The Bears, who drafted former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, are looking for a coach to replace the fired Matt Eberflus. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12.
Carroll had a 137-69-1 record in the regular season with the Seahawks, leading them to five NFC West titles and 10 playoff victories. He became the first coach to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Seattle with the Seahawks’ Super Bowl 48 victory over Denver. The Seahawks got back to the Super Bowl the following year, but Russell Wilson threw a goal-line interception in the final seconds of a loss to New England.
The 37-year-old Petzing has spent the past two seasons with Arizona, working with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray.
The Cardinals went from ranking 22nd in yards per game in 2022 to 11th this season and from 21st in scoring to 12th in that span. Murray, who made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, threw for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. Petzing worked with quarterbacks, tight ends and wide receivers as an assistant with Minnesota from 2014 to 2019 and with Cleveland from 2020 to 2022.
The 44-year-old Weaver, who interviewed with New Orleans on Wednesday, guided Miami to the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense in his first season as coordinator after three years as an assistant in Baltimore. He played seven seasons at defensive end for the Ravens and Houston Texans before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Florida in 2010. He landed his first NFL job as an assistant with the Jets in 2012.
Kafka, 37, has spent three seasons as New York’s offensive coordinator. The Giants’ offense ranked among the NFL’s worst the past two years, and coach Brian Daboll took over play-calling duties from him this season. New York finished last in the NFC East at 3-14.
Kafka was an assistant with Kansas City from 2017 to 2021 when Bears general manager Ryan Poles worked in the Chiefs’ front office. A Chicago product, he was a second-team, All-Big Ten quarterback for Northwestern as a senior in 2009.
Chicago fired a head coach during a season for the first time when Eberflus was let go on Nov. 29 with the team in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. The Bears are counting on the next coach to help Williams develop into a franchise quarterback.
Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson figures to be at the top of the Bears’ wish list. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady and even Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy are expected to get looks.
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