Bears head coaching job reportedly down to two candidates |
After interviewing at least 10 head coach candidates over the past week and several more interviews planned for the weekend and heading into next week, it's very clear that the Chicago Bears are taking this head coaching search seriously. Whether it be a young and upcoming coordinator, a coach with decades of head coaching experience, or even college coaches such as Marcus Freeman, David Shaw, and Matt Campbell, the Chicago Bears ensure no stone is left unturned.
It's a refreshing approach when you look at how the Bears handled their last head coach opening, as it did feel like they took the easiest and cheapest way out. Given what this team is looking for in a coach, taking the cheapest way possible is simply out of the question, as the Bears know they have to spend money to find a great coach. If the most recent reports are accurate, not only will the Bears be spending money on a coach, but whoever gets the job could become one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. According to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, not only have the Bears narrowed down their head coaching list, but it does appear to be a two-horse race as Ben Johnson and Mike McCarthy are the ones this team wants. "The Chicago job and I haven't said this publically, is a two-horse race between Mike McCarthy and Ben Johnson. I think if Brian Flores goes in and 'wows' them, he is still in that mix, but right now, I think McCarthy and I think Ben Johnson are the two leading candidates for Chicago," Schultz said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. Talk about two coaches on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to experience, as Johnson has never been a head coach while McCarthy has 18 years of Head Coaching experience under his belt. Both of them, however, are viewed as great offensive minds, and that was one of the criteria that Ryan Poles wanted his next coach to meet. Hearing Johnson not only linked to the Bears but to be one of the finalists for the job isn't a surprise, as it seemed to be a Johnson or Bust vibe for the better part of the past week. Had the Lions not gotten the No. 1 seed and lost in the Wild Card round, there is an excellent chance that he would've been hired by now, but with his team gearing up for the Commanders on Saturday, the Bears are not able to give him a second Interview until Monday at the earliest. Arguably the best offensive mind in the game, Johnson has been linked to the Bears since Eberflus was fired, and at one point, he seemed like the safest bet among all the incoming Head Coach Candidates. While that still may be the case, you still have to be cautious, as the lack of head coaching experience is something that concerns this organization when you look at what Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus did. Johnson has already gone on record talking about the Bears organization and has said he would like to work with Caleb Williams should the opportunity present itself. Looking at what he has done for Jared Goff and that offense, can you imagine what he would do for the Bears and their offense? It seems like the perfect match, but with the Raiders now pulling out the Red Carpet for Johnson, Chicago will have their work cut out for them.
That is why McCarthy's name has been mentioned and put up there in the same wavelength as Johnson, as he seems to be Option 1-B. The long-time Green Bay Packers and, most recently, Dallas Cowboys head coach was let go earlier in the week after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
The moment that happened, you knew teams would be calling him for an interview, and the Bears made sure they were one of the first teams to make the call. Despite being one of the later candidates on the list, his resume speaks for itself as he is the 12th-winningest coach in NFL history.
Granted, that success hasn't always translated in the postseason, but McCarthy has a Superbowl ring under his belt and plenty of regular-season success, which can't be ignored. Along with the experience side of things, there is another reason why the Bears are looking at him: his work with young QBs.
He is not the offensive genius he once was, but McCarthy has a long track record of success with young quarterbacks, starting with Alex Smith when he was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco. Following one year with Smith, McCarthy latched on to Green Bay and worked with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, eventually leading to a Superbowl championship in Rodgers' second year as a starter.
McCarthy hasn't had the same luck with Dallas, but he did make the playoffs in three of his four seasons as their coach, with Dak Prescott putting up the best numbers of his career with McCarthy calling the shots. Knowing the immense talent that Williams has and looking at the weapons this team has on offense, it's the perfect situation for him to walk into and have instant success.
Even with these two candidates at the top of the list, you can't rule out Lions DC Aaron Glenn, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, or Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, as they are considered dark horse candidates to get this job. All three have already completed one interview with this team, but with all three vying for a spot in the Superbowl, it could be a few weeks until the Bears announce who their next head coach will be.
