The Bears are dealing with essentially the most momentous hiring choice of their historical past. Some would possibly argue that they’re dealing with essentially the most momentous choice, interval, of their historical past. I might argue that that got here earlier than the 2017 draft, after they sized up quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes, and determined Trubisky was a giant-in-waiting. However that’s hindsight, and I don’t wish to depress you any greater than you already are as you sit in a darkish room and gorge on Ho Hos.
The Bears are usually not off to an incredible begin of their hunt to exchange the discarded Matt Eberflus, the primary head coach in crew annals to be dumped throughout a season. In accordance with ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, six-time Tremendous Bowl champion Invoice Belichick noticed the Bears’ opening as essentially the most enticing within the NFL. However he reportedly thought the crew, hoping to get the perfect out of quarterback Caleb Williams, would pursue an offensive-minded coach. And so, having determined he had no shot in Chicago, he gave the College of North Carolina the previous faculty attempt.
I don’t know if Belichick would have been the fitting alternative at this level in his profession and at this juncture within the franchise’s historical past. In case you’re a Bears fan with a mistrust of just about every part the group does – a present of arms? – the scary factor is that there doesn’t appear to have been a lot curiosity on the Bears’ finish in one of many winningest coaches in league historical past.
I imply, who’d desire a man who wins?
At a minimal, bringing Belichick in for an interview and listening to him let you know what’s improper together with your franchise could be instructional. Painful however instructional. At this level, you’d assume Bears chairman George McCaskey would drop the charade of erudition and eagerly absorb what a training legend has to say about an NFL crew that has been all however estranged from playoff victories the previous 23 years.
What ought to actually scare anybody who cares about this crew is the hard-to-shake thought that McCaskey would a lot desire to raise interim head coach Thomas Brown than rent somebody with as a lot information as Belichick. The Bears misplaced to the Vikings on Monday night time, however it gave the chairman three extra hours to permit himself to fall in love with the thought of Brown as a head coach. Historical past tells us he’s simply obsessed on somebody who A) doesn’t have a lot head teaching expertise, B) could be comparatively low-cost and C) wouldn’t care about energy.
Once more, I’m undecided if Belichick would have been the fitting slot in Chicago, however I do suspect that if the Bears have been so fast to disregard a person with 302 profession victories, it might probably’t bode properly for his or her search.
In the event that they get this choice improper, the best way they’ve gotten so many of those hires improper, it will go away a crater that’d take years to fill. That’s not hyperbole. That’s fact. They’ve Williams, a 23-year-old with extra expertise than any quarterback they’ve ever had. He wants teaching. He’s at a important second in his growth. I see a possible celebrity beneath all of the rising pains. Doubters see a child making the identical errors week after week. One factor either side can agree on: His skill goes to take him solely to date.
I’d love for the decision-making to be taken out of the Bears’ arms. I’d love for there to be a candidate so apparent that the rent could be McCaskey-proof. I don’t see that candidate on the market.
The Bears reportedly desire a “chief of males,’’ however simply because they need that doesn’t imply it ought to be essentially the most essential high quality of their subsequent head coach. It simply means anyone at Halas Corridor has been studying books about management.
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel is likely one of the betting favorites to be the Bears’ subsequent rent, however he’s additionally a defensive coach. That shouldn’t be an computerized disqualifier, not for a franchise as coach-needy as this franchise is.
It’s kind of just like the draft. Do you are taking the perfect participant obtainable or do you draft for want? Are the Bears avoiding the perfect coaches obtainable as a result of these coaches occur to work on the improper aspect of the ball? They shouldn’t be. We will have the good radio talk-show debate – was the Patriots’ phenomenal success on account of Belichick’s teaching or Tom Brady’s passing? – or we will acknowledge that someway Brady turned what he was underneath Belichick. Williams simply wants a great head coach.
If the loud, giant Vrabel is the kind of chief crew president Kevin Warren needs so badly, his defensive background shouldn’t disqualify him from critical consideration by the Bears. Nor ought to the truth that his Titans completed no higher than twenty first in passing yards in any of his six seasons in Tennessee – a lot of that needed to do with having a star operating again in Derrick Henry.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the recent candidate on that aspect of the ball. His squad scored 42 factors towards the Payments on Sunday night time, and Bears followers doubtless have been salivating on the considered him on their sideline subsequent 12 months.
But when McCaskey does rent him, certainly it will give these long-suffering fanatics pause. Outdated George is the person who gave the nod to the previous 4 Bears head coaches – so as, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy and Eberflus. How’d that work out?
Scary occasions.
It hooked up itself to interim head coach Thomas Brown like a nasty odor in Monday night time’s blowout loss to the Vikings.
The Bears knew his first begin could be a trial by hearth: taking part in in a loud stadium towards the league’s most aggressive blitz protection.
