Everybody who follows football to a strong enough degree knows the name Pat Fitzgerald. He took over Northwestern in 2006 and has steadily groomed it into one of the better programs in the Big Ten. No small feat given the conference also houses Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State. Now his team is 5-0, the best start they’ve ever had this side of the millennium.
So it’s hardly surprising Fitzgerald’s already respected name is starting to garner legitimate interest from the NFL. Recent word is the New York Jets are doing deep research on him and could seek to make him the successor to Adam Gase next year. Their GM Joe Douglas has deep connections in college circles so it’s not a huge surprise he might seek a new head coach in that area.
Fitzgerald is considered one of the biggest fish to reel in.
Despite facing incredibly tough competition for recruiting in the midwest, he’s still managed to build competitive teams. People are interested to see what happens when he gets his hands on more premium talent in the NFL. His style of program-building is considered feasible for the pro level. What nobody knows is the intentions of the man himself.
The Jets aren’t the first team to consider a run at him. Green Bay made such a push in 2019. He turned them down. According to NFL insider Albert Breer of the MMQB, Fitzgerald likes where he is. The general belief is he’d change his mind for only one team. That being the Chicago Bears.
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“Unfortunately, it doesn’t just take a team wanting a guy like Fitzgerald. It takes a guy like Fitzgerald wanting that team back, too. And just about every indication I’ve gotten over the years is that Fitzgerald is going to be incredibly picky about taking a shot at the NFL…
…In Fitzgerald’s case, I’ve heard, at least short-term, that the Bears would probably be the only team he’d consider…
…I’ve also heard his kids are a factor—his three sons are aged 11-16—and he may want to stay where he’s at to see them through school.”
Pat Fitzgerald may get his chance this January
This isn’t the first time Fitzgerald was connected to the Bears. The two sides have had ties through rumors for a long time. Family considerations aside, the head coach grew up a Bears fan. He was born in Orland Park and went to college at Northwestern where he became one of the best defenders in the NCAA. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it at the NFL and so began his pursuit into coaching by 1998.
Eight years later, he took over Northwestern and the rest is history. While his love for running the program is as strong as ever, some wonder if after 15 seasons he’s interested in a new challenge. The allure of the NFL is always a thing for guys like him. He already achieved one dream with his current position. The only one left is the Bears.
It would certainly be a fun story.
A hometown boy who elevated a local favorite college program tries to do the same with its struggling pro team. Pat Fitzgerald has never feared long odds. He took over Northwestern at just 31-years old. People were skeptical if he was ready for that shot. He proved them all wrong. Now he’s confident in what he can do and is incredibly seasoned as a head coach despite still just being 45-years old.
The only question left unanswered is from the Bears. Are they going to move on from Matt Nagy as head coach? If these final six games go as expected, there is a strong belief that will be the case. At that point, the Fitgerald to Chicago rumors will really start to heat up.