The Chicago Bears mercifully ended the Matt Eberflus era shortly after Thanksgiving, and they’re expected to cast a wide net in their search for the 18th new head coach in franchise history.
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporing News recently named young, offensive-minded coaches like Ben Johnson of the Lions, Kliff Kingsbury of the Commanders and Kellen Moore of the Eagles as top potential candidates. Kingsbury is a name to watch, given his history working with Caleb Williams at USC last year and Chicago’s interest in hiring him as offensive coordinator this past coaching cycle.
GM Ryan Poles could, however, look to bring in a stronger voice given how things played out with Eberflus this season. One dark horse candidate mentioned by ESPN on Wednesday? Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
NFL insider Dan Graziano hinted that Flores could draw interest from the Bears this offseason:
“Would he appeal to the Bears, who’d be weakening a division rival if he could sell them on his ability to bring in the right offensive coordinator for Williams? I think Flores is a good and interesting candidate on several levels, but … the questions surrounding him are very specific and could be tough obstacles for him to overcome in this cycle.”
The “questions” Graziano is referring to include Flores’ ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL (he’s not the only plaintiff on the class-action suit), and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s bashing of Flores for how the coach treated him during their time together with the Miami Dolphins.
Whether the Bears would trust Flores with their new young quarterback is a legitimate question, but his recent work as a defensive mastermind in Minnesota is hard to ignore. The Vikings enter Week 14 with an NFL-leading 18 interceptions. They’re also fourth in total sacks (39) and fifth in average points allowed (18.3).
As for poaching star coordinators from their division rivals, the Lions figure to be impacted less, as they’ve been preparing internally for Johnson to move on. Losing Flores could significantly hurt the Vikings, who have a number of key defensive starters playing on expiring contracts and would be staring down a complete reset on that side of the football. Their offense is also expected to be in some flux, with J.J. McCarthy likely taking over as a first-year starting quarterback in 2025.
The situation surrounding Flores and his next move will be a fascinating one this offseason. The Bears interviewed him for their vacant HC job back in 2022, and there’s a good chance they at least meet with him again come January.
NFL picks, score predictions Week 14: Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons
NFL power rankings Week 14: Experts running out of reasons to keep Vikings outside of top 5
NFC Playoff Picture Week 14: Could Vikings steal top seed from Lions, Eagles?
Read the full article here