Chicago Bears Were Just Connected To A Major Coaching Name

For the past few weeks, the discussions have centered around what fate awaits Matt Eberflus. Under normal circumstances, it feels like he's done enough to earn another year as Chicago Bears head coach. However, some believe team president Kevin Warren may wish to make a change. The idea is he'd hope to land somebody with a proven track record who could elevate the Bears into proper contention. Two names mentioned in this regard were Jim Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. It might be time to add a third name to that list.

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post wrote a column recently detailing the head coach landscape ahead of the regular season finale. Expectations are that several more jobs could open with some unexpected names finding a way out of town. One of them is Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Apparently, there is a lot of tension inside the building between him and new GM Ran Carthon. This could lead to the coach finding an exit strategy, and some teams will be interested.

You can probably guess one of them.

I keep hearing Vrabel and GM Ran Carthon are not a match. This looks like a rebuilding team, and Vrabel would have trade value. Rival officials believe the Bears and Patriots would covet Vrabel. The Titans could turn to their former assistant, Arthur Smith (if he’s out in Atlanta), and see if he can develop quarterback Will Levis. The Titans are 0-5 in the weak AFC South, are 5-18 in their past 23 games and have gone 34 straight contests without scoring 30 points, the longest streak in the NFL and a franchise record. “I could see a trade,” the first GM said. The second GM said: “I know it’s not good there between the coach and GM. I think something could happen.”

The Chicago Bears' interest in Vrabel is more than warranted.

A former Super Bowl champion linebacker, he took over the Titans as head coach in 2018. He posted a winning record in each of his first four seasons, winning two division titles and reaching the AFC championship in 2019. Unfortunately, the team has taken a downturn over the past two years. Much of that has to do with quarterback problems and poor drafting from former GM Jon Robinson. Tennessee's draft work between 2019 and 2022 was ugly. Their three 1st round picks in that period were Isaiah Wilson, Caleb Farley, and Treylon Burks. Not great. If that weren't bad enough, Robinson also traded star receiver A.J. Brown to Philadelphia. A move that Vrabel was expressly against.

As the team approaches a rebuild, it's understandable the head coach may want out. The Chicago Bears are on the upswing. They have a young, ascending roster. Not only that, but they can also present Vrabel with the opportunity to pick his own quarterback in the upcoming draft. It wouldn't be a hard sell from his point of view. Warren's interest is understandable. The guy is already a proven winner. They also share a minor connection. Vrabel is an Ohio State alum. Warren was Big Ten commissioner for four years. It is almost certain they crossed paths at least once.

Acquiring him makes sense if the Bears seek somebody they feel can win in January.