This feels like the week. Most of the top head coaching candidates are now available after their teams bowed out in the playoffs. The Chicago Bears have been busy in that time. GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren interviewed 17 people for the position, 14 being virtual and three in person. Their meeting with Eddie George on Sunday brought them into compliance with the Rooney Rule. That means they are free to hire whomever they wish. Expectations are it will happen by the latter half of this week.
The obvious question is who is the likeliest to get the job. Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron has it on good authority that there are four known front-runners. Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the most obvious. Chicago’s interest in him is well-documented. Former Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy is another. The two joining them are Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Zimmerman believes Johnson is the #1 target but fears he is leaning towards Las Vegas. In such a scenario, McCarthy and Monken could be in a two-man race.
The Chicago Bears seem to have used their time wisely.
Most experts would agree that is a solid list of options, regardless of who they choose. Johnson has been one of the hottest young coordinators in the NFL for three years, helping the Lions ascend to the top of the NFC. Flores revitalized the Vikings’ defense and had some success as a head coach in Miami before too many bad relationships in the building saw him get fired. He was college teammates with Poles as well. McCarthy won a Super Bowl in Green Bay, led Dallas to three straight 12-5 seasons, and has a winning record in 12 of his 18 years as a head coach. Monken won two national titles with Georgia, came to Baltimore, and guided Lamar Jackson to the two best seasons of his stellar career.
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Of course, there is no guarantee any of them would have success if they were to get the job. Still, for the first time in years, it looks as if every candidate with a legitimate shot is actually qualified. There is no Marc Trestman or Matt Eberflus here. The Chicago Bears have done their research well. Certain fans won’t be happy with certain candidates. It is impossible to please everybody. Even so, it appears the process has at least been logical for once.
