The Bears interviewed 17 head coaching candidates over the past two weeks, enough to field two baseball teams with an all-time pitcher.
This is the week things get serious. The Bears will whittle down their exhaustive and exhausting candidate list — one that included Super Bowl champions, a lower-division college head coach and everything in between — and could make their selection by the end of the week, if not sooner.
The Bears covet Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who spent Sunday helping to conduct exit interviews in the wake of his team’s upset loss to the Commanders. They’re not the only ones intrigued by him, though, and will have to move decisively.
Former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is a strong option if Johnson goes elsewhere or decides to stay in Detroit. The Bears flew McCarthy to Halas Hall on a private jet last week, a luxury not afforded some other candidates who were eligible to meet in person. His combination of head coach experience and play-calling acumen would fit the Bears’ desire to build around quarterback Caleb Williams.
Starting Monday, the Bears can meet in person with any candidate whose season is over, including Johnson. All but one of the Bears’ virtual interview subjects has seen their season end.
The Bears can make a job offer right away, too, after satisfying the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires that teams interview two minority candidates in person. One week after interviewing former Bear Ron Rivera, the Bears met with Tennessee State coach Eddie George on Sunday. George, who had a two-week stint as the Bears’ Bill Walsh Fellow in May 2023, is a longshot to get the job.
The Bears, Raiders and Jaguars interviewed Johnson virtually the week after the regular season ended, and the Cowboys can reach out now. He’ll have his choice of jobs — namely in Las Vegas, where the Raiders can offer him a customized front-office setup. Unlike the Bears and Jaguars, the Raiders have a general manager vacancy. If Johnson prioritizes alignment with his GM, the easiest way to achieve it is to have a hand in hiring that person.
Sunday, the Raiders took one step toward that very scenario happening. Per ESPN, they interviewed Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark. He spent 26 seasons in Detroit before this season, most recently as a senior player personnel director, and is close with Johnson. Part-owner Tom Brady, who has been involved in Johnson’s recruitment, was part of the GM interview.
The Bears don’t have a similar GM opening, but they do have a quarterback to build on in Caleb Williams. The Jaguars boast quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is intriguing but expensive. The Raiders, meanwhile, hold the sixth pick in a relatively weak quarterback draft.
Johnson rebuffed head coaching overtures the past two offseasons, preferring to remain in Detroit. He’s said he feels more prepared than ever to be a head coach, but staying put can’t be totally ruled out.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles vowed to run a comprehensive search. He’s lived up to his word, almost to a fault — many around the NFL wondered whether the wide swath of candidates indicated a lack of focus. The Bears’ list might not be done growing, either. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, whose Fighting Irish play in the national title game on Monday, has acknowledged the Bears’ interest, even if claimed he hadn’t given it much thought. The Bears reached out to the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, only to be rebuffed, and may have other surprising swings in mind. Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury didn’t interview last week while preparing for the playoffs. That doesn’t figure to change this week, with the Commanders playing the Eagles in the NFC championship game.
By then, it might be too late. After Poles vowed the Bears would be “digging deeper than we ever have before,” the time is growing near for the Bears to show the world what they’ve found.