Chicago Bears Head Coaching Candidate: Joe Brady |
The Chicago Bears are certainly in a predicament when it comes to finding their next head coach. Ryan Poles has continued to reiterate that they are not only looking for an offensive-minded coach but a young and upcoming offensive-minded coach capable of putting a complex offense on the field.
One issue with that is that most of these so-called offensive geniuses will also be given the keys to a historic franchise without any prior head coaching experience, which has to be a concern for many fans. It's no secret that the Bears have lacked success over the past decade, but the past seven years have especially been challenging as they have gone through a pair of first-year head coaches. Granted, Matt Nagy had immediate success in his first season, but apart from that, the past six years have been a struggle, and it does make you question whether or not the Bears want to give another first-year head coach the keys to this franchise. If there were ever a time to do that, this offseason would be it when you look at the candidates vying to become the next head coach of the Bears. Joe Brady is one of those young and upcoming offensive minds expected to interview for the job and is a name rapidly rising on the Bears' list and the rest of the league's openings. The current offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills has had success everywhere he has landed, but his work with Josh Allen over the past two years stands out and has the attention of the Bears and their front office. Brady has held a wide range of coaching positions throughout his career, and those positions span both the NFL and college landscapes. He is one of those offensive architects that the Bears are looking for, and you can look at some of the players who have thrived under him to get an idea of how good of a play-caller he has been. Look no further than his days as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator in 2020 when Teddy Bridgewater not only signed with Carolina but went on to have his best season as a pro, throwing for more than 3700 yards and a career-high 15 TDs in 15 games. You then look at what he did in college as a member of the LSU National Championship team, as he had the opportunity to work with Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and the rest of that loaded team. Burrow wasn't the Burrow we know now under Brady. He threw for just under 2900 yards with 16 scores under Brady's watch, while Jefferson wound up hauling in 875 yards. Brady left before being part of the LSU Championship team, but he is largely credited with getting the players to live up to their potential, and you're starting to see that again when you look at how Allen has played. Along with being an offensive mastermind, Brady also has the previous play-calling experience that the Bears are looking for and has a successful track record that will get everyone's attention. However, given that he would be a first-time head coach, there are some concerns about that, but not enough for the Bears to not take him seriously for this position. When you look at what has made Brady a successful coach and playcaller thus far, it's hard to ignore that he has had some great weapons to work with. Chicago may not have the weapons some of his previous stops have had, but they still have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball, and that should be enough to help him remain creative with what he has at his disposal. They always say a head coach is as good as his assistants can make him, while assistant coaches are only as good as the players around him. The bottom line is that Brady has been fortunate enough to be put in great situations, and Chicago could be another excellent situation for him. This season is a prime example of that, as Allen is in the running for his first MVP despite the overall stat line not being as impressive as it would seem. Not only does Allen have one of the lowest passing attempts of his career, but he also has some of the lowest rushing attempts of his career. However, that has led to his success as he has been by far the most efficient he has been at any point in his career. That alone is intriguing in itself, as it would be interesting to see how Brady works with Caleb Williams and if he could get the same level of play out of him that he has gotten out of Allen.
