The Chicago Bears defense already lost their defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to retirement this offseason. Now it appears they’re going to lose their best defensive assistant coach as well. Jay Rodgers, the Bears defensive line coach since 2015, will be leaving the organization to join the Chargers out in Los Angeles according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
This will reunite him with Brandon Staley, now head coach in L.A. The two worked together for two years in 2017 and 2018. Rodgers was responsible for some excellent work in Chicago. He turned Akiem Hicks into a Pro Bowl force at defensive end. Others like Eddie Goldman, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Bilal Nichols have developed into above-average starters. Not to mention journeyman vets like Marion Edwards Jr. and Nicholas Williams having career years under his direction as well.
This will not be an easy loss to replace for them.
Matt Nagy is expected to have more than a D-coordinator to hire. League sources say defensive line coach Jay Rodgers is bound for the #Chargers.https://t.co/URtl9plnqU
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) January 21, 2021
It’s unclear if the Bears tried to retain Rodgers. Reports are he was in consideration for the defensive coordinator job as an in-house candidate. However, the belief was he might not accept the job even if offered. No doubt a big part of that decision is the current instability regarding head coach Matt Nagy. Though he’ll be back in 2021, most believe he will be on the hot seat. Rodgers no doubt would prefer to go to a new job where he has more stability. Los Angeles can offer that.
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Nagy meanwhile is trying to find his next defensive coordinator. A search that hasn’t exactly gone as expected to this point.
Chicago Bears may have trouble finding a willing option
This far the coaches they’ve interviewed include former Cardinals and Giants coordinator James Bettcher, Cowboys senior assistant George Edwards, Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon, and even former 49ers head coach and Bears legend Mike Singletary. While an eclectic mix of names, nobody would call it a premium list of options either.
Like Rodgers, many of these coaches aren’t dumb. They recognize the precarious position Nagy is in. If they come in and the team fails to perform in 2021, they could be out of work after just one season. At the same time, there is a trade-off. The Chicago Bears defense is still immensely talented. If said coordinator were to come in and return them to top 5 status? That would likely put them in a position for head coaching opportunities of their own.
It comes down to whether Nagy can convince somebody to take the risk.
History shows he may have a hard time doing that. When pursuing a new offensive coordinator last offseason, he ended up settling for Bill Lazor. Nobody could call him in-demand at the time, having been out of football in 2019. It feels like the same situation is going to happen this time around. Bettcher seems to be the current favorite and he was out of football in 2020. He does have prior success on his resume though, posting three top 10 defenses in Arizona. Still, the Bears can’t afford to get this decision wrong.