Kyle Shanahan didn’t just lead his San Francisco 49ers to a blowout win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14. He also stomped on the dreams of fans who have bought into the rumors that the Bears could potentially make a league-altering trade for Shanahan to become their next head coach for the 2025 NFL season.
Following his team’s 38-13 win over the Bears on Sunday, Shanahan received a question about the speculation that another NFL team could trade for him during the offseason and emphatically shut down the possibility of leaving the 49ers after the 2024 season.
“I know I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here,” Shanahan told media in Sunday’s postgame. “My family feels just as strong — if not stronger. You guys are going to have to kick me out of here, so there’s no way I’m making that decision.”
Earlier in the week, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio floated the possibility of the Bears making a blockbuster offseason trade to acquire Shanahan and install him as their next head coach, giving way to rumors about the subject. He noted how valuable Shanahan would be in the development of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and urged the Bears to at least call the 49ers about the coach’s availability — even if it proves fruitless.
For now, though, it seems the Bears have their answer about the Shanahan option.
Kyle Shanahan Trade Remains Unrealistic for Bears
Shanahan reaffirming his commitment to the 49ers certainly seems to squash rumors about the Bears making a deal for him, but let’s be honest about one thing: the chances of Chicago giving up significant draft capital for a veteran coach were never too good.
While it is unclear what the 49ers would demand for Shanahan — in a world where they wanted to trade him at all — the Denver Broncos deal with the New Orleans Saints for Sean Payton offers a starting framework. The Broncos traded their 2023 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) and 2024 second-round pick for Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third-rounder. For a coach like Shanahan, the Bears would likely give up similar value.
Now, the Bears could make a compelling offer for Shanahan if they had the motivation. They are projected to have three picks inside the top 42 through the first 14 weeks of the season — including the Carolina Panthers’ second-rounder — and could pair their first with one of the seconds to give the 49ers something serious to think about.
With so many other roster needs, though, it is hard to imagine the Bears giving up such meaningful draft assets for a coach when they will have plenty of options from which to choose in the upcoming hiring cycle — where the next Kyle Shanahan might await them.
Bears Have Strong HC Candidates Outside of Trades
The Bears’ desperate need to get their next coaching hire right has allowed some in the media to start entertaining trade possibilities following the success of Payton in Denver, but they should have no trouble finding worthy candidates to consider on the market. Apparently, they even have several names already on a list for potential interviews.
According to a report from Chicago sports radio host Dan McNeil, the Bears have four names on their list of head coaching candidates: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
The odds from sports-betting sites cast a similar group of candidates. The latest odds from Covers.com favor Johnson (+250), Brady (+300), Vrabel (+400) and interim head coach Thomas Brown (+500); though, Brown’s odds will almost certainly dip after his disastrous head coaching debut against the 49ers saw the offense fall apart in Week 14.
Meanwhile, The Athletic has pushed the idea of Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. He has an established relationship with Williams from his time as a senior offensive assistant at USC during the 2023 season, but the Bears did already look at him for their offensive coordinator vacancy last offseason and decided against him, so it is unclear whether they would circle back for a more prestigious job.
Either way, the Bears will have options as a big-market team with a promising young quarterback, a good supply of draft picks and roughly $61.8 million in 2025 cap space.
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