Ben Johnson feels like the heavy favorite for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. The two sides have clarified their mutual interest through the media for weeks. A meeting is expected at some point next month. However, it would be presumptuous to call the job his. The organization plans to meet with other candidates as well, wanting to make sure they have a thorough process. There is a chance somebody else can step up to challenge Johnson for the job. If you talk to certain insiders, they will tell you that is already happening.
Zak Keefer of The Athletic mentioned on Hoge & Jahns recently. All the signs to him indicate one name out there who fits exactly what Chicago needs.
He isn’t alone. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports took it a step further, outright stating the Bears are intrigued by Mike Vrabel. They feel he demonstrates the necessary qualities of someone who can handle the challenges of coaching in a big market. Most importantly, he’s already proven he can assemble a quality staff to help his quarterback excel.
He isn’t yet 50 years old and already has a proven track record to bolster his candidacy. Vrabel had four winning seasons in six years with the Titans, made the playoffs three times, and reached an AFC championship. He accomplished all of that with Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback, a decent veteran who never came across as anything special. People inside the league believe he got the most out of what was an okay roster, headlined by only three good players: Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, and Jeffery Simmons.
Does that mean he’s the right guy for Caleb Williams? That is a tricky question. Vrabel has never successfully developed a young quarterback. He had two chances with Malik Willis and Will Levis, but neither panned out. There is also the concern of constantly losing offensive assistants since he’s a defensive coach. That is something many Chicago Bears fans don’t want to see happen at such a critical juncture of Williams’ career. Still, Vrabel might be the most proven option on the board.
