Good morning, friends!
It’s been 88 hours since Cairo Santos and the Chicago Bears walked off the Green Bay Packers to finish the regular season. It feels like it’s been a month.
We heard from Caleb Williams and interim head coach Thomas Brown on Monday to recap a wildly disappointing year that at least ended on a high note instead of an 11-game skid.
On Tuesday, a timid Ryan Poles spoke from the podium in the PNC Center at Halas Hall to recap the failures that led to a surprising 5-12 finish and share some insight into the ongoing head coaching search.
CHGO BEARS COACHING TRACKER
President and CEO Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey spoke in large scrums afterward in an entryway adjacent to where Poles held his presser. The shift in scenery felt unnecessary and odd. Was the point really to make it clear that the general manager was in charge and deserved the podium all to himself?
Interspersed throughout the week, Chicago’s front office reportedly requested several interviews for their coaching search, casting a “wide net” as Poles said. As far as I can tell, the only common traits shared by each candidate are that they’ve worked in football at some point and have a pulse.
So, welcome to the offseason: the playoffs haven’t begun and the Bears’ coaching search is still in its infancy. Get ready for a long eight months until the preseason.
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— Patrick Norton
Bears complete first interview with Mike Vrabel
Head coaches with decent game-management skills are rarely available in hiring cycles. Mike Vrabel’s availability is one of those rare occurrences.
Six wins over his last 24 games as head coach in Tennessee ultimately led to his firing. However, the former New England Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion consistently had the Titans playing above expectation.
It probably didn’t help Vrabel to have four offensive coordinators in six seasons thanks to the success of two (Matt LaFleur and Arthur Smith) and the failure of another (Todd Downing). Toward the end of Vrabel’s tenure, improvement was nearly impossible for an offense led by a declining Ryan Tannehill.
Well, for a Bears team that felt compelled to fire a coach during a season for the first time in franchise history this year, game management is certainly a box worth checking during the coaching search.
Vrabel’s demeanor also fits the “leader of men” style the organization wants in its next hire. Some might even consider him too much of an “alpha” for the Bears, who haven’t really had that type of character since the 1980s (I’d say it worked out pretty well for ’em then).
Bears defensive end – and former Titan under Vrabel – DeMarcus Walker told Adam Hoge on Monday: “If Vrabel come here…a lot of bullshit is gonna get cut out.”
Here’s the reality of the situation for the Bears: While Albert Breer reported on Tuesday that Vrabel would interview in Chicago with “an open mind”, the former head coach is the clear front-runner for the head coaching vacancy in New England. He played there and it was surprising he didn’t land the job last offseason when it became available.
If he doesn’t land in New England, the Las Vegas Raiders, part-owned by Vrabel’s good friend and former teammate Tom Brady, seem like a clear No. 2. Despite how well Vrabel might fit the description for what the Bears are looking for this cycle, the timing could not be worse for Chicago.
Next up? The Bears were reportedly expected to interview Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing on Wednesday night, too. However, the team did not confirm an interview had taken place. As for what’s reportedly on the docket for today, Chicago will interview New York Giants OC Mike Kafka and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
For those interested, it sounds like Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson will interview with Chicago on Saturday.
🏈 Hoge: Why Mike Vrabel is a strong head coaching candidate for the Chicago Bears
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