It has been one of the more chaotic weeks in recent memory for the Chicago Bears as defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned on Wednesday. Speculation is still ongoing as to what the real reason that led to Williams' resignation. Head coach Matt Eberflus will assume defensive play-calling duties for the second consecutive week as the Bears will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sunday. If Eberflus decides not to be the permanent play-caller for the remainder of the season, there is one former Bears' coach who could potentially fill the role.
Rod Marinelli Could Serve As The Best Option To Fill the Vacant Defensive Coordinator Position
If Eberflus looks to make an outside hire instead of promoting one of the position coaches to the role of defensive coordinator, former Bears' assistant coach Rod Marinelli would serve as a perfect candidate to fill the void. Chicago's defense deploys a Cover-2 defensive scheme and would need to have a coordinator who has past experience calling plays in the system. Marinelli has the experience and more as he has been a defensive play-caller for over ten seasons utilizing a Cover-2 scheme.
https://x.com/WaddleandSilvy/status/1704592727562715533?s=20
Although Marinelli has been retired from coaching since 2020, his ties with Eberflus and Chicago could lure him out of retirement to assist in this particular dilemma. The former defensive coordinator called plays for the Bears' defense from 2010 to 2013 as he served under head coach Lovie Smith. Additionally, during Marinelli's time as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys from 2014 to 2019, Eberflus served as the team's Linebackers' coach from 2014 to 2017.
An outside hire for the position is difficult for Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles to address due to the team's current on-field struggles and off-field turmoil. With Chicago mired in a 12-game losing streak dating back to October of last season, the Bears coaching staff is at risk of being terminated at season's end if they are unable to improve on last year's three wins. No veteran play-caller would want to assume the risk of being fired at season's end despite not being the cause of the issue, but Marinelli wouldn't have to worry about that risk as he is already retired.
https://x.com/CoxSports1/status/1704297707739758909?s=20
From a scheme standpoint, Marinelli may also be the best option to solve the Bears' defensive issues, as they have given up 25 points or more in each game of the 12-game losing streak. The former defensive play-caller consistently oversaw several top ten defensive units during his time with the Bears and Cowboys. Additionally, both NFL teams won division titles when Marinelli was employed by both NFL teams.
Marinelli's Prior Success Would Give The Bears' Defense Some Stability
If Chicago potentially lured Marinelli out of retirement to fill their defensive coordinator void, there would be optimism that the defensive issues could be fixed over a few weeks. The former play-caller has successfully turned around poor defensive units before and has done so in Chicago. In 2009, the Bears finished with a 7-9 record as their defense ranked in the bottom third in the NFL. During the offseason, Smith hired Marinelli as the team's defensive coordinator, and in 2010, Chicago's defense ranked fourth in the league as the team won 11 games.
https://x.com/TonyDungy/status/1068360031794536448?s=20
Two seasons later, in 2012, the Bears' defense was the third-best defensive unit in the NFL, as the team won ten games. Although Chicago failed to make the playoffs, the defense led the league in takeaways and tied the NFL record for most defensive touchdowns in a season. Marinelli was so successful as the Bears' defensive coordinator that ownership tried to convince him to stay in the role despite firing Smith after the conclusion of the 2012 season.
During his time with Dallas, Marinelli's defense was consistently one of the better units in the league, as they constantly succeeded in forcing turnovers. From 2014 to 2019, Dallas made the playoffs three times and won the NFC East Division each of those times. Whether with his time with the Bears or Cowboys, Marinelli is seen as one of the more reliable and respected coaches in recent NFL memory.
https://x.com/ggabefootball/status/1491171838495379460?s=20
There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding Williams' departure from the Bears, but there is a need to fill the defensive coordinator vacancy sooner rather than later. Unless Eberflus plans on calling plays for the Bears defense for the remainder of the season, it is in the team's best interest to fill the defensive coordinator position. Marinelli is the best candidate for the job if Chicago plans to look for outside help.
Comments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...