Cleveland Just Handed Chicago Bears A Golden Opportunity On Coaching Market

The key to building strong teams is knowing when to be opportunistic. That is true both for acquiring players and coaches. It appears the Chicago Bears are catching a huge break this off-season as several staff in other organizations experience unexpected turnover. That means several notable assistants are suddenly available, many with terrific track records. It appears the Cleveland Browns have joined in on the action, much to the surprise of people inside and outside the building.

According to Josina Anderson, the team fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell, and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney. Considering the job those men did in the face of overwhelming injuries this season, this is a huge shock. Van Pelt is the biggest surprise. He’s earned a reputation as one of the top quarterback coaches in the league. He got a Pro Bowl-caliber year out of Josh Freeman in 2010. Aaron Rodgers won an MVP under his watch in 2014. Rodgers was reportedly upset Green Bay fired Van Pelt in 2018, which was one of the key reasons the Packers offense regressed so badly that season. Baker Mayfield also had his best season in 2020 once he joined the staff as offensive coordinator.

If the Bears were looking for somebody they wanted to help develop a young quarterback, they could do a lot worse.

Breaking: I’m told the #Browns have fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, per source.

Some of the players are upset from the news.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 17, 2024

The Chicago Bears want experience. They can do way worse.

It is becoming clearer by the day the team is leaning towards drafting a new quarterback with the #1 overall pick. If that happens, the best thing to do is put an experienced staff around him filled with guys who know how to handle developing that position. Van Pelt has that needed experience. He understands coaching the QB is a process. There will be ups and downs. The key is to stay on top of them about details and discipline.

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A perfect example is Ryan Fitzpatrick. The former 7th round pick was a no-name backup in Buffalo in 2009. He had to step in as the starter midway through the year. It was a rocky first month, but the QB found a groove and finished the year strong with a 2-1 record, five touchdowns, and two INTs in his final two games.

Many moving parts remain to the Chicago Bears’ efforts to retool the offensive staff. An offensive coordinator must be hired before they can think about position coaches. Still, the quarterbacks job is open. If they can swipe Van Pelt before anybody else, they will be in a great spot when they select Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or somebody else in April.