The Chicago Bear haven’t yet finalized their coaching staff and it appears there is a reason why. They may have plans on making some adjustments. Particularly on the defensive sides. New defensive coordinator Sean Desai has already found new assistants for his front seven. Chris Rumph takes over the defensive line, Bill McGovern the inside linebackers, and Bill Shuey the outside linebackers. On paper, the only spot left appears to be the safeties job.
However, that may not be it after all. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the team could be expanding the defensive staff to include a senior defensive assistant of some kind. Somebody with extensive NFL experience. Particularly from a coordinating standpoint who can be a sounding board for Desai as he embarks on his first real venture into running his own defense. Not a bad idea. Two names Biggs ties to the job.
Mike Pettine and Bob Sutton.
#Bears are believed to be considering the addition of a senior defensive assistant to Matt Nagy's staff, an extra set of eyes for 1st-time coordinator Sean Desai.
Former #Packers coordinator Mike Pettine & Bob Sutton are 2 potential candidates.https://t.co/BpTTaz0VVs
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 31, 2021
Pettine was recently the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. They let his contract expire despite back-to-back trips to the NFC championship game in 2019 and 2020. Frustration with him from Packers fans had been building for some time and things reached a crisis point in the NFC title game when his unit gave up a long TD right before the end of the first half. His unit rebounded in the second, picking off Tom Brady three times. Unfortunately for him, the damage was done.
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Sutton? He’s been coaching since way back in 1972. He joined the NFL as a linebackers coach in 2000 and eventually became a coordinator in 2008. Across nine seasons with the Jets and Chiefs, he produced a top 10 unit in points allowed five times. They proved particularly good at getting takeaways. Something that has become a problem for the Bears the past couple of years.
Chicago Bears understand the value of experienced voices
Make no mistake. Desai is going to run the defense. This move would not be a way to undercut his power on that side of the ball. It’s more about giving him an extra brain to pick on how to construct the proper scheme to get the most from his players. Pettine and Sutton have both seen a lot of football in their careers. They’ve learned lessons that Desai himself has yet to. Having them provide a roadmap could be immensely valuable in such a critical season for the Bears.
Sutton has already served in the senior assistant role with the Atlanta Falcons since 2019 after being fired by Kansas City. He obviously has ties to Matt Nagy since the two worked there together. Pettine though has connections to Vic Fangio, Desai’s mentor, from their time together in Baltimore. So those are two interesting options to consider. There may also be others depending on who is available.
One has to imagine Pettine would be the priority.
He is younger at 54-years old and has significantly more experience with the offenses in the NFC North than Sutton could provide. Especially the Green Bay Packers. Getting past them remains the priority for the Chicago Bears. Having Pettine provide input on them could be valuable.
