It isn’t a secret anymore that Matt Nagy is operating on borrowed time. Unless he somehow pulls a miracle in the next six weeks to make the playoffs, his time as head coach of the Chicago Bears is coming to an end. Multiple insiders have confirmed this. The bigger question is who the team might have in mind as a replacement. No doubt a critical hire considering what is at stake.
Justin Fields has flashed a ton of promise as a rookie quarterback this season. While his numbers don’t look great, the tape shows enough to believe that with the right system and supporting cast, the kid has a chance to be really good. This is why the next head coaching hire must be the right one. Somebody with a plan to cultivate him. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports claims to have a good idea of who the organization will pursue come January.
He listed three notable names to watch.
“If they make a move, the Bears are expected to consider Tampa offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, among others, and it has been well-known throughout the industry for years how high Bears ownership is on Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who numerous NFL teams have pursued in recent years. However, sources said that Fitzgerald, who recently signed a big extension to remain at the school he also played for, would not be interested in a jump to the Bears.”
Daboll isn’t a huge surprise. He’s already been connected to Chicago by another insider in Benjamin Allbright. Considering what he has done with Josh Allen in Buffalo, there is plenty of logic in the Bears exploring that idea. Leftwich? He’s the offensive coordinator of the reigning Super Bowl champions. The guy who got 5,000 yards and 33 touchdowns out of Jameis Winston in 2019 before re-molding the system around Tom Brady last year and winning a title. His aggressive, down-the-field passing game would fit Fields well.
Then there is McDaniels.
Probably the most controversial of the three. On the one hand, he is arguably one of the two or three best offensive minds in the entire sport. A master at crafting schemes that fit the strengths of his players. Finding weaknesses in opposing defenses and makes life easy for his quarterbacks. That is why rookie Mac Jones has played so efficiently this year. On the other? He was a massive flop as a head coach in Denver and then backed out of a second opportunity with the Colts at the last second. A complicated reputation to be sure.
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Chicago Bears head coach decision will be up to next GM
Another report from La Canfora’s colleague Jonathan Jones suggested that Nagy won’t be the only one on his way out of Halas Hall. There is a strong chance GM Ryan Pace will join him. That means the McCaskeys will have two big jobs to fill. If they stick to their original mode of operation, then expect the organization to hire a GM first. He would then have free reign to pick the next head coach.
One possible way for the Chicago Bears to approach this is by hiring a GM who would likely bring one of those three candidates with them. History does show coaches and executives work better together when they have a prior connection. See Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith. They could pair Leftwich with Bucs VP of player personnel John Spytek, Daboll with Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, and McDaniels with Patriots director of player personnel David Ziegler.
Then again, give La Canfora’s dubious history when it comes to accuracy? There is a good chance none of those coaches mentioned end up getting the job. With six games still to play, there is a long way to go.
