Two Wild Cards Mentioned For Looming Chicago Bears Head Coach Search

Matt Eberflus hasn't been fired yet. Five games remain on the schedule. There is still a possibility he could save himself. Yet the warning signs are hard to ignore. Multiple insiders have reported the Chicago Bears are having internal discussions about certain coaching candidates once the off-season arrives. That isn't a great sign for Eberflus' job security. Former team scout Greg Gabriel even said he needs to win four of the last five games to have a shot at getting another year. The odds of that happening don't seem likely.

Thus, the discussion about potential candidates for the job remains ongoing. Jim Harbaugh has already been mentioned several times. Eric Bieniemy was just reported as another one to watch. There will be other obvious candidates. However, Gabriel thinks there will be one or two names that should and will at least get a look once the off-season begins. They won't be names that will excite Bears fans, but he believes they'll have bright futures as head coaches if given the opportunity.

The Chicago Bears would have to be blown away to go defense again.

Aaron Glenn played 14 years in the league from 1994 through 2008, making three Pro Bowls and earning 1st-team All-Pro in 2002. After working as a scout on the personnel side for a few years, he joined the coaching ranks in 2014. He rapidly ascended the ranks, taking over the New Orleans Saints secondary in 2016. They would go on to have one of the most productive units in the league for a stretch of years. That led Glenn to become Lions defensive coordinator in 2021. The man has learned from the likes of Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll, and Sean Payton.

Steve Wilks is a fascinating case of resilience. He ran the Chicago Bears' secondary in 2006 during their Super Bowl run. He then followed Ron Rivera to San Diego and Carolina, where he helped them reach the Super Bowl in 2015. His first crack at defensive coordinator in 2017 saw him produce the 7th-ranked defense in the league. That got him the head coaching job in Arizona. Sadly, a 3-13 season marred by QB issues saw him get fired. He rebounded back in Carolina, where he took over a 1-4 team in 2022 after Matt Rhule was fired. He then went 6-6 to finish the year. Now he's running the #5 defense in the league in San Francisco.