Bill Barnwell of ESPN made some waves a week ago when he ranked seven potential head coach opening going into the final week of the 2021 season. He wasn’t high on the Chicago Bears, placing them a distant 6th on that list. This fed into the fears of some Bears fans that can’t help but wonder if top coaching candidates might shy away from Chicago. Both due to an aging roster and lack of many available resources for the coming offseason.
It seems though that other insiders don’t share that assessment. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune has reached out to several NFL sources in recent weeks. The reading he’s gotten is considerably different. Not only do coaching candidates have a high opinion of the potential Bears opening, but the same goes for possible GM candidates as well. It goes so far as to say they might be the two most attractive options on the entire market.
“Whatever jobs come open at Halas Hall in the coming days, the history and prestige of the franchise is still magnetic to many around the NFL. At present, only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Raiders are in the market for new head coaches. And the consensus in league circles is that the Jaguars certainly won’t have first choice from the available pool of candidates, even though their search began early.
The Bears’ head-coaching vacancy is likely to be as attractive if not more so than any of the other possible openings that might spring up this month. The story isn’t much different at the GM level.”
This shouldn’t be a surprise.
Sure the resource and salary cap situations could be better. The roster is old and lacks depth in certain areas. However, the Bears have plenty of things going in their favor. They still have a top 10 defense in the league. One with emerging young stars like Roquan Smith and Jaylon Johnson. The pass rush should still be really good in 2022 with Robert Quinn and a returning Khalil Mack.
There is also optimism on offense. David Montgomery is a top 10 running back. Darnell Mooney is flirting with 1,000 yards receiving for the season. Cole Kmet is showing promise at tight end. Then there is of course Justin Fields. Despite some difficult rookie struggles, he has flashed huge potential at quarterback. Most believe that with the right coaching he can become a genuine franchise guy. This team looks capable of an immediate turnaround next season if handled the right way.
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Also, don’t forget it’s still the Chicago Bears
One of the NFL’s founding franchises. A team loaded with history, sits in a huge media market, and is backed by one of the largest and most passionate fanbases in the business. Winning here means instant immortality. While people love to dump on the McCaskey family as owners, the reality is they’re widely known for their class and non-invasive approach. Coaches and GMs that come to Chicago are rarely interfered with.
It is a prestigious place to be. The problem is the McCaskeys just haven’t been good at finding the right people for those jobs. Nagy and Pace are merely the latest disappointments. That won’t scare away rising candidates. People in this business have egos. They feel if given an opportunity, they can succeed where others failed. The Chicago Bears have everything in place to be a successful organization.
All they lack is the necessary leadership.
It sounds like there will be no shortage of people lining up for a chance to secure one of those two top jobs. What it will come down to is George McCaskey himself. The final say rests with him, as it has for the past decade. The interview process figures to determine how this goes in the coming weeks.
