Thus far the Chicago Bears have pursued (allegedly) two names in regards to their offensive coordinator spot. The most popular name is Pat Shurmur, former New York Giants head coach. The other is Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka. Yet day after day continues to pass with no signings in sight. It would appear the team is having a hard time luring either of them. Shurmur looked like the heavy favorite with his prior experience and ties to Andy Reid. However, the emergence of the Philadelphia Eagles, a team he's worked for in years past, into the OC market has changed things.
As for Kafka? There's no guarantee the Bears will even be able to talk to him. He won't be available until after the divisional round of the playoffs this weekend and the Chiefs could easily decide to block them from even meeting. This would leave the Bears in a precarious spot. So here's an idea that is worth considering. What if they just hire the guy Philadelphia cut loose?
That may sound counterintuitive, but there are reasons to think the Eagles made a knee-jerk move that wasn't necessary. One the Bears can take advantage of if they wish.
Chicago Bears know what Mike Groh can do
It's hard to understand exactly why the Eagles felt Mike Groh, their offensive coordinator of the past two years, had to get fired. The team made the playoffs each of the past two seasons and finished with the 7th and 11th ranked passing attacks in the NFL respectively. It's not like his units were terrible. Especially when one considers the ridiculous string of injuries he's had to juggle in 2019.
- Jordan Howard
- Alshon Jeffery
- Nelson Agholor
- Mack Hollins
- DeSean Jackson
All of those key offensive pieces did not play a snap in the Eagles' playoff matchup against Seattle. Carson Wentz also bowed out early with a concussion. Yet somehow Groh gets blamed for the offense only scoring nine points. On what planet does that make sense? Apparently, that was enough for owner Jeffery Lurie who played a significant role in him getting kicked to the curb.
The general belief is that this was done not necessarily because Groh is bad at his job but more because of the perception of him to the public. Groh had a reputation for not being the most interesting interview. Some accused him of coming across as incompetent and arrogant, even if neither was true. Lurie apparently takes public perception super serious and wanted the problem removed. Being the owner, he got his wish.
Everything about this move says it was less about coaching ability and more about pleasing angry Eagles fans. That should suit the Bears just fine. A quality offensive assistant is now available, one they are actually quite familiar with.
Groh was the wide receivers coach in Chicago from 2013 to 2015. He helped transform Jeffery into a Pro Bowler during that stretch. He left in 2016 to join the Rams where he squeezed 1,000 yards out of Kenny Britt despite having a rookie Jared Goff at quarterback most of the year. This is a good football coach. If the Bears wanted somebody who won't be a threat to Matt Nagy as a play caller but can still help develop his players properly?
They could do a lot worse than Groh.
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