The Bears finished their interview with Eddie George on Sunday, which could allow their head coaching search to go into overdrive.
The interview was reportedly in person, which means the Bears have satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule. The rule mandates that a team must interview at least two minority candidates in-person before they are allowed to make a hire. The Bears met with Ron Rivera in person one week ago.
George, the Tennessee State coach and former Titans running back star, is a longshot for the Bears job. The Bears are familiar with him from his two-week stint with the team as a Bill Walsh Diversity Fellow in May 2023.
“He’s a wealth of knowledge,” then-head coach Matt Eberflus said. “And we’re getting as much information from him as he is from us.”
He’s the 17th person to interview with the Bears in the last two weeks.
With two Rooney Rule interviews completed, the Bears could make a hire as soon as early this week. They’re allowed to begin meeting in person with coaches under NFL contract starting on Monday. One name to watch will be Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who became eligible to talk once his team lost Saturday night to the Commanders. He’ll have his choice of jobs — namely in Las Vegas, where the Raiders can sell the possibility of syncing him up with a new general manager. On Sunday, they interviewed Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, per ESPN. He was a longtime Lions employee and is said to be close with Johnson.
If Johnson were to go elsewhere, former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy remains an intriguing candidate. The Bears flew him on a private jet to Halas Hall to interview last week. His head coach experience and play-calling prowess would be a good fit for quarterback Caleb Williams, who grew up rooting for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.