Windy City Gridiron
Could this finally be the week the Bears name their new head coach? The coaching carousel is expected to heat up and Chicago, among the other six teams with opening will be right in the mix of the NFL news cycle.
With Championship weekend upon us, the conclusion of the 2024-2025 NFL season is rapidly approaching. Before arriving at the Super Bowl in early February, we’ve seen several upsets to keep everyone on their toes. Due to those upsets, top candidates have become available long before expected. With six teams still looking to hire head coaches and get their coaching staff in order before the start of the offseason, things will start to move quickly in the coming seven to 10 days. The Chicago Bears will be among those teams looking to get busy.
Before we enter what should be a pivotal week in the Bears’ future, let’s look back at the last few weeks and what it could all mean for Chicago soon. We’ll cover all that and more in another special edition of Bears Takes.
1. As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday morning, the Detroit Lions’ surprising loss on Saturday night could send the coaching carousel into hyperspeed.
Heading into the weekend, most NFL fans expected the NFC’s top seed to sail past the upstart Washington Commanders. At one point, the line favored Detroit by 10-plus points. Despite the national expectation, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders dominated the Lions en route to a 14-point victory. In turn, it freed up arguably the two hottest head coaching candidates remaining in this cycle.
By all accounts, the Bears are one of three teams remaining in the Johnson sweepstakes. Reading the tea leaves of the multiple reports, I see that it is more of a two-team race with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the outside looking in. If we are being honest with ourselves, the Bears are probably chasing the Raiders, but we’ll dive more into that in a few.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the other name that will draw quite the crowd. Although Chicago did interview Glenn on the same day as Johnson, they haven’t been tied to the former standout defensive back. Ultimately, the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints will likely find themselves as his top two suitors. After all, the history of his playing career and current ties to the Saints organization were always expected to play a big part in his final decision.
On top of the Lion’s loss, the Baltimore Ravens falling out of the playoffs will give Chicago another hot offensive name to entertain in the coming days. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has had an impressive four-year run. It started with a pair of national championships at Georgia and has continued with his incredible work in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson has taken another step in his already impressive career. Despite Monken’s age (58), his fiery personality feels more like Bruce Arians than it does in a Vic Fangio situation.
With 17 confirmed...
