Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren stated from the outset that they are seeking a head coach who can bring a winning identity to the Chicago Bears. The overused term is "leader of men," but in reality, they want somebody who can make good decisions, understands how to motivate players, and is on top of the details. One would imagine that if they were looking for a proven winner, the search would begin and end with Bill Belichick. The man has six Super Bowl rings as a head coach and only three losing seasons in his time with the New England Patriots.
If this were five or six years ago, the decision would have been easy. The problem is Belichick turns 73 next year. History says coaches who enter that age range lose their edge, energy, and ability to communicate with younger generations. Still, one would think he sees the Bears as a great landing spot to continue his career. Unfortunately for him, according to insider Armando Salguero, the interest isn't mutual.
Chicago Bears: They have an opening. But very unlikely. The Bears are this year's Falcons. They have people already within the organization – club president and CEO Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles – who want to keep their job and would do what it takes to keep that from being disrupted by Belichick.
The Bears' lack of interest in Bill Belichick isn't a surprise.
Keep in mind this isn't because of his coaching prowess. That isn't the problem. As stated above, the concerns stem from the likelihood that he would try to upend the Bears' power structure. During his time in New England, Belichick was both the head coach and de facto general manager of the team. That meant he had the primary say on every significant personnel move. Most believe this is why the franchise collapsed over the past few years, especially after Tom Brady left. Between 2017 and 2023, the organization has seen only two players they drafted make a Pro Bowl. Both are no longer with the team.
Bill Belichick will want some sort of control in the personnel department. It sounds like that is something the Bears aren't willing to offer. Understandably so. The list of successful coaches who were also their own general managers is extremely short. Belichick got away with it for so many years because he had the greatest quarterback of all time to cover up the mistakes. Let another team deal with that.
