The Chicago Bears are in the thick of their head coaching search and Friday was a significant day for the organization in that regard.
Chicago announced the completion of an interview with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady via the team’s official X account on January 17.
“We have completed an interview with head coach candidate Joe Brady,” the Bears wrote.
The team also interviewed Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken Friday, just two days before the Bills and Ravens square off in Buffalo for the right to play in the AFC Championship Game.
Both men are high level candidates who should legitimately contend for Chicago’s open position alongside the likes of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
Joe Brady Made Big Mark in Buffalo in First Full Year as OC
GettyBuffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
Brady, 35, presided over an unexpectedly successful year for the Buffalo offense in 2024.
He took the job on an interim basis after the team fired former offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey mid-season during the 2023 campaign. Brady formerly served as the team’s QBs coach, taking that position in 2022.
Buffalo elevated Brady to the full-time coordinator job ahead of this year, during what several NFL analysts believed was likely to be a rebuilding/resetting sort of season for the Bills.
The team’s top two wide receivers the year prior, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, both left the organization. Buffalo traded Diggs to the Houston Texans, while Davis departed in free agency to join the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But instead of taking a step backwards, the Bills offense lead the league with 471 yards per game, finishing tied for second with the Texans in total passing offense (261 yards per contest) and alone in second place in total rushing offense (210 yards per contest).
Buffalo finished the season with a 13-4 record, earning the No. 2 seed in the AFC and the right to host the Ravens (No. 3 seed) in the divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday. Across this run, quarterback Josh Allen has made a strong case for MVP, accounting for 4,262 yards from scrimmage and 40 total touchdowns.
Joe Brady’s Potential to Help Caleb Williams Develop Among His Top Traits
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Brady’s particular expertise seems to suit him specifically to take over a job like the one open in Chicago, considering the team drafted franchise quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall last year and will likely prioritize his protection and development above all else in 2025 and beyond.
That said, Brady may still be a little green to earn the job over candidates like Johnson and McCarthy, who insider Jordan Schultz recently reported are the two frontrunners at this point in the Bears’ process.
“It’s been made clear to me that for all intentions and purposes the Chicago job … is a two-horse race between Mike McCarthy and Ben Johnson,” Schultz told Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd Thursday. “I think if Brian Flores goes in and wows them, then he is still in that mix. But right now, I think McCarthy and I think Ben Johnson are the two leading candidates for Chicago.”
There is still a long way to go before the Bears make an official hire, and Johnson could end up with the Las Vegas Raiders after new developments between he and minority owner Tom Brady.
If Joe Brady impressed Chicago Friday with his plans for Williams and the offense and earns a second interview, he could upend the process in the weeks to come.
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