How the Bears might make an unprecedented head-coaching rent: Invoice Belichick? Commerce for one?

Final month, the Chicago Bears fired Shane Waldron. That they had by no means fired an offensive coordinator in the course of the season.

The day after Thanksgiving, they fired Matt Eberflus, the primary head coach fired in the course of a season within the franchise’s 105-year historical past.

The choices might have been apparent, so we don’t have to essentially credit score the unprecedented nature of them as some systemic shift within the group. However perhaps it may be an indication of what’s to return on this head-coaching search.

“To go the place you haven’t been, it’s important to do one thing you’ve by no means finished,” former Bears Professional Bowler Kyle Lengthy posted to social media minutes after Eberflus was fired.

“It’s no matter you assume it’s alleged to imply for the subsequent regime,” Lengthy mentioned once I requested him this week.

Anybody can take the quote in whichever route they need. For this train, it impressed just a few head-coaching candidates or hiring methods that haven’t been typical for the Bears underneath chairman George McCaskey.

“That is the Chicago Bears,” one league supply mentioned. “They need to have the ability to go get the coach they need.”

President/CEO Kevin Warren listed what they’ll search for in a head coach.

“We want a person who has extraordinarily excessive requirements, who is hard, who’s demanding, who’s shiny, who has consideration to element, who seeks and can win championships, who creates an setting of accountability, who’s artistic, who’s clever, who’s a decisive decision-maker and who will symbolize the town of Chicago, all of our followers, this franchise, in a way that’s well-deserved,” he mentioned.

Regardless of whom the Bears rent, they’ll say that the coach embodies all of that. It’s like when a staff is thrilled {that a} prospect was obtainable to be drafted. However we will nonetheless use it as a information for the subsequent couple of months, and marvel if Warren’s function can permit the franchise to purpose larger.

What’s the subsequent factor the Bears might try this they’ve by no means finished?

1. Rent the best coach of all time

The primary name ought to be to Invoice Belichick. We will sit right here and quibble about his report after Tom Brady left or the Mac Jones period or the Patriots roster he left Jerod Mayo, however we will’t quibble with the Tremendous Bowl rings.

At 72, Belichick in all probability isn’t on the lookout for a rebuilding venture. Perhaps he likes what he’s seen from Caleb Williams and has a constructive analysis of the Bears protection. He’s been public concerning the staff’s lack of ability to construct up the trenches, so we all know he would prioritize that.

Sure, Belichick comes with a ton of query marks, beginning with the ability he would need and the way that may mesh with the present setup (extra on that in a bit). However nobody honors the league’s historical past like Belichick. He handed George Halas on the all-time wins checklist (playoffs included). Wouldn’t he like to be teaching Halas’ Bears when he passes Don Shula?

2. Rent a coach who requires a change at GM

Belichick would deal with personnel. A change must be made with Ryan Poles, whom Warren mentioned would stay the staff’s common supervisor. Poles is shut with Scott Pioli, who labored with Belichick — perhaps that may create a chance for Poles and Belichick to coexist in Halas Corridor.

Mike Vrabel, who is likely to be some of the sought-after teaching candidates, might additionally create a clumsy state of affairs with a present GM. Would Vrabel need personnel management or to choose his personal evaluator to deal with it?

The identical query may very well be requested if the Bears referred to as Pete Carroll. Sure, he’s 73, however he gained a Tremendous Bowl and went to the playoffs 10 occasions with the Seahawks — in the identical span, the Bears went to the postseason 3 times.

Beneath McCaskey, this may be an entire shift in the event that they employed a coach who required extra energy in shaping the roster and the constructing. Warren would have robust choices on his fingers concerning Poles.

3. Rent essentially the most coveted (and costly) coordinator

Within the earlier 4 hiring cycles, the Bears haven’t at all times gotten the “hottest” coach obtainable.

In 2013, Phil Emery interviewed 13 candidates earlier than selecting Marc Trestman, then the pinnacle coach of the Montreal Alouettes. One of many head-coaching candidates? Bruce Arians.

A coach who wasn’t a finalist however acquired employed in 2013? Andy Reid.

In 2015, earlier than John Fox grew to become obtainable, Ryan Tempo interviewed Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles. Quinn went on to take the Falcons to the Tremendous Bowl in his second season. Bowles went 10-6 because the Jets’ head coach in 2016.

In 2018, Matt Nagy definitely wasn’t the splashiest rent — that was Jon Gruden with the Raiders. Vrabel was employed by the Titans in the identical cycle.

After which in 2022, it’s unlikely that Eberflus was essentially the most coveted (and costly) candidate of these interviewed, which included Quinn, Brian Daboll, Doug Pederson and Brian Flores.

Sarcastically, Fox may need been the highest man in 2015, and Nagy’s hiring was fairly revered in 2018, however when did the Bears rent “the” man? If Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson proves to be the consensus high candidate amongst assistants — acknowledging the subjectivity of all this — would the Bears ever be the staff to land somebody like him, particularly if he’s going to price essentially the most?

4. Rent the interim

The Bears have by no means had an interim head coach earlier than, besides in 1942 when Halas was within the Navy throughout World Battle II and Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos co-coached the staff.

This feature isn’t as splashy because the others, and it won’t be essentially the most interesting contemplating potential candidates with extra expertise, nevertheless it’s one other route that the Bears have by no means thought of — partially as a result of they’ve by no means needed to. If Williams is prospering, the wins come, and the locker room has rallied round Thomas Brown, and if he shows the management traits and recreation administration abilities to proceed at that submit, it’s price contemplating, even when he wasn’t Warren’s man or Poles’ man.

There’s a purpose Brown acquired the interim tag. There’s a purpose he’s been interviewed for head-coaching positions and offensive coordinator roles. The Bears have gotten a more in-depth take a look at him over the previous three weeks, and these subsequent 5 video games might inform them that he’s the man. If that’s the case, they shouldn’t be afraid just because interims haven’t been profitable elsewhere.

5. Commerce for a coach

“It won’t be the one they assume is the ‘greatest obtainable,’” the league supply mentioned. “Go get your man.”

The ultra-aggressive and franchise-altering determination to commerce for a coach is totally antithetical to all the things we all know concerning the Bears. However normally, when there’s a training change at Halas Corridor, the roster doesn’t seem like this.

Tempo stripped issues down in 2015 as Poles did in 2022. There have been just a few items on protection in 2018, after which an aggressive free-agency interval and the commerce for Khalil Mack put that roster into the playoffs.

This staff, as dangerous because the shedding streak is, has misplaced on the ultimate play to a few of the perfect groups within the league, and one other to a staff on the cusp of the playoffs in Washington. On an evening when their offense was terrible, the Bears had the ball down a rating with an opportunity in Houston.

They need to be proper there. It is a distinctive alternative for somebody who can reap the benefits of the salary-cap state of affairs and additional draft picks to compete straight away.

Why not name round to see if any proprietor is enthusiastic about speaking a couple of commerce? Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio urged Kyle Shanahan in an interview on 670 the Rating. Heck, what about Sean McVay? Perhaps he’s prepared for a brand new problem. A coach has to conform to a commerce, including to the complexity of it, and any of those cellphone calls might final lower than a minute.

However these are the Chicago Bears, a staff caught in mediocrity and biking by way of coaches regardless of what they consider the franchise stands for. With Williams getting into 12 months 2, there’s a fantastic alternative right here. They need to take a giant swing and go someplace they’ve by no means gone.

(Prime photograph: Maddie Meyer / Getty Pictures)