NFL Head Coach Hiring Rules: Expected timeline for the Bears this cycle

The Chicago Bears will be one of six-to-eight teams that will be hiring a new head coaching and coaching staff in the coming weeks. Here’s what to expect during the new NFL-mandated process.

After a strong (4-2) start to the season, the Chicago Bears quickly devolved from potential contender to Top 10 pick after finishing 2024 on an 11-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired after an embarrassing 19-3 loss in Week 10 to the lowly New England Patriots. Three games later, following a disastrous final two minutes on Thanksgiving morning against the Detroit Lions, head coach Matt Eberflus was dismissed.

Despite the front office’s best efforts, the season could not be salvaged, and the losing streak stretched out another five games after Eberflus’ firing. With another dismal season in the rearview mirror, the Bears will find themselves in the market for a head coach for the fourth time since firing former head coach Lovie Smith following a (10-6) record in 2011.

This organization and its fans are no strangers to the hiring process, but it has changed since their last head coaching search in 2022. Without getting into the specifics of particular candidates, this breakdown highlights the league’s new rules and establishes a realistic timeline for fans to expect a hiring to be completed.

New Rules For 2025

Thanks to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, we were able to get an early look into the timelines and general specifics of how the hiring process for head coaches will go in 2025.

• Teams can hold in-person or virtual interviews with candidates not employed by an NFL team (i.e., Mike Vrabel, Jon Gruden, or Pete Carroll).
• Teams conducting interviews to fill their open head coaching, general manager, or coordinator vacancies must hold in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates (persons of color and/or women).
• On January 6th, teams with an open head coaching position can start requesting interviews from other teams.
• Candidates from non-playoff teams may start the interview process with interested teams on Day 3 once their season has concluded.
• Virtual interviews for candidates still in the playoffs must not exceed three hours.
• In-person interviews must be conducted in the candidate’s home-team city or agreed-upon location from their current team.
• For candidates with a first-round bye, virtual interviews can start three days after their final regular season game (January 8th or 9th) and can continue until the conclusion of the Wild Card round.
• Interviews with candidates from playoff teams that play on Wild Card weekend can be conducted virtually through the conclusion of the divisional round (January 19th).
• On January 20th, teams can conduct in-person interviews with candidates who have been eliminated from postseason contention.
• For Super Bowl Teams: Interviewing teams are permitted to hold second in-person or virtual interviews with candidates between January 27th and February 2nd. Teams may not conduct an initial interview during this time.
• On February 10th, in-person interviews with Super...