The New York Jets have already begun interviewing potential head coach candidates. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have remained silent. It isn’t clear why. Most likely, they would prefer to be respectful to interim coach Thomas Brown by waiting until after Sunday. Whatever the case, most believe the search will be extensive, involving anywhere from 12 to 14 candidates. GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren want to be thorough. However, anybody with common sense knows there is likely a short list of names the Bears brass prefer.
Fans believe Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is on that list. He’s expressed interest in the job and seems to love the idea of working with Caleb Williams. His track record as an offensive mind speaks for itself. However, Conor Orr and Albert Breer of the MMQB don’t get the sense that Johnson is the favorite. His more likely landing spot is Jacksonville due to pairing with a likely familiar GM and facing less pressure in a smaller city. The Bears are aiming in a different direction.
In Chicago, there are some established layers at the top with GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren. Poles, despite the issues with the coaching staff, has put a solid team on the field that was 4–2 before a season-altering Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders. To me, it wouldn’t be outrageous to see Johnson and the Jaguars more mutually drawn, while the Bears could be more attracted to someone such as Mike Vrabel or, the No. 2 name on my Matt Eberflus replacement list from a few weeks back: Brian Flores. Flores would be able to clean up the Bears’ game management issues and would arrive with a fresh perspective on how to staff and align the offensive side of the ball around Caleb Williams.
That is to say, the locker room requires a head coach who isn’t afraid to carry a firm hand. That was most definitely the case with Vrabel and Flores during their first head coaching stints. Both were known for being hard-nosed, detailed, and disciplined. Vrabel had four straight winning seasons in Tennessee before roster mismanagement caused things to fall apart. Flores got Miami back-to-back winning seasons but never quite got the offense on track due to constant coordinator changes and a rift with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Plenty of fans don’t like this idea. Vrabel and Flores are both defensive guys. That means they can’t possibly promise a stable situation for Williams, which must be the team’s priority. Still, if you’re looking for anything close to a guarantee of cleaning up the bad habits on this roster, it is easy to see why those two are getting the attention.
