The Chicago Bears were so close to clinching their first championship in two decades back in 2006. They came up just short against the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. Expectations going into 2007 were that they’d be well-placed to go after it again. They had one of the best defenses in the NFL and a diverse, physical offense. However, that offseason would go down in history as one of the most baffling thanks to two key decisions. The biggest involved Ron Rivera.
Since being hired as defensive coordinator in 2004, Rivera had overseen a massive transformation to that unit. One that saw them become the #1 defense in 2005 and top 5 against the next year when Chicago marched to the Super Bowl. Rivera had done nothing to indicate he deserved losing his job. So it was understandably confusing when head coach Lovie Smith announced that the team had let him go and were promoting linebacker coach Bob Babich in his place.
It was a decision met with immediate skepticism.
Smith never gave a straight answer as to why he did. Rivera himself avoided causing any controversy by speaking on the subject after he left. Not until 12 years later with Smith long gone and his own career established elsewhere did the man affectionately known as “Chico” reveal the likely reason to Joseph Person of The Athletic.
“When Lovie decided to let me go, I think a lot of it had to do with just the fact that I wasn’t his guy. I was hired by the general manager (Jerry Angelo), and it’s just one of those things — he wanted to put his guy (Bob Babich) there. So I understood that. It wasn’t a personal decision. And that’s one of the things that Coach Smith and I have always talked about: It wasn’t personal, which I get. At the end of the day, you want to have your guys in place.”
Ron Rivera loss ruined three precious years of Bears defense
Smith may have been entitled to that decision, but that doesn’t mean it was the right one. Promoting Babich proved to be one of the pivotal moments of his career, and not in a good way. Without Rivera’s steady hand and solid play-calling, the defense regressed over the next three seasons. They dropped all the way to 28th that first year, were 21st in 2008, and 17th in 2009. Babich was demoted that final season and Smith took over play-calling himself.
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Rivera? He landed in San Diego in 2008 as their new defensive coordinator. Over the next three years, they finished 15th, 11th, and 10th in total defense. This helped land him the head coaching job with the Carolina Panthers. One he continues to hold to this day. It’s fair to wonder how different the Bears’ fortunes might’ve been had Smith not let favoritism cloud his better judgment. Rivera may not have been one of his guys, but he was clearly one of the best in the NFL at what he did.
Another reminder that fans should appreciate Matt Nagy, who is far more practical in his approach.
