After gaining some brief hope with a win over Washington, the Chicago Bears regressed back to reality on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Their offense was out of sync, couldn't protect Justin Fields, and committed two brutal turnovers in the 4th quarter. Nothing about this team suggests it is trending in the right direction. The talent still isn't good enough, and the coaching might actually be worse. Team president Kevin Warren has some big decisions ahead regarding the futures of GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.
Most agree that the latter should and will be fired. You can't go 4-19 and expect to keep your job. Eberflus hasn't done nearly enough to make this team better. Poles is a tougher evaluation. He's added some good players. However, it's hard to evaluate them because of the coaching. The prevailing belief is the Bears will retain him, let him pick a new coach, and draft his own quarterback. However, there is a chance Warren could clean house. If that happens, here are some names he would likely explore as replacements.
Kevin Warren has some interesting connections if he flushes everything
Head coaches:
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan head coach)
Warren has a personal connection to Harbaugh from their time spent in the Big Ten together. Warren was the commissioner while the coach ran the Michigan program during that entire time. The Bears president is familiar with Harbaugh's ability to raise an organization out of mediocrity back to content. His experience in the NFL with San Francisco is a big selling point, and his abrasive personality might be the necessary jolt this franchise needs to climb out of its ongoing funk.
Drew Petzing (Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator)
Not enough people appreciate what Petzing is doing in the desert. He inherited a team that looked ready to tank. They acquired their starting quarterback right before the season began. Yet the coordinator has helped Joshua Dobbs play highly efficient football (2-to-1 TD-INT ratio) and guides the league's sixth-best rushing attack. Warren worked alongside Petzing in Minnesota from 2014 through 2019 when he was an assistant coach under Mike Zimmer. The well-connected exec likely knows the coach professionally and personally.
Ben Johnson (Detroit Lions offensive coordinator)
Arguably the hottest name among the 2024 coaching crop. Johnson has morphed the Lions' offense into a well-balanced juggernaut. They pound the ball on the ground while Jared Goff has regained his Pro Bowl form from a few years ago. Many consider him a brilliant play caller and excellent communicator. Kevin Warren has obviously watched his success from being in the same division, but it's also important to remember he worked in the Lions organization for a few years in the early 2000s. He may still have inroads into that building.
Luke Fickell (Wisconsin head coach)
He's been drawing interest from the NFL for the past few years. Fickell was masterful in transforming Cincinnati into a playoff contender. Now he has the Badgers 4-2, playing solid football across the board. He's experienced and proven as an evaluator and developer. Warren's connections in the Big Ten will keep him informed on Fickell's progress. The big issue is whether he wants to join the NFL. He has never coached in the pros, having spent his entire career at the college level.
Lincoln Riley (USC head coach)
Remember, Warren was instrumental in negotiating the deal for USC and UCLA to join the Big Ten in the near future. So he absolutely knows about both programs. Riley has long been considered one of the top coaches in college football. Most of that comes from his reputation as an outstanding offensive mind with a keen eye for quarterbacks. If the Bears wanted to ensure Caleb Williams comes to Chicago, hiring the coach he followed from Oklahoma to USC would make sense. It comes down to whether they can find him a defensive coordinator, one of Riley's biggest faults.
General managers:
Rick Spielman (Former Minnesota Vikings GM)
Warren and Spielman share a relationship that goes back almost 20 years. They both arrived in Minnesota around the same time. Spielman became the head personnel guy in 2006. From there, he constructed a roster that regularly competed for the playoffs, including two NFC championship appearances. Spielman drafted 18 eventual Pro Bowlers, with Adrian Peterson, Harrison Smith, and Justin Jefferson looking like future Hall of Famers. The GM also worked in the Bears front office in the late 1990s, so he's familiar with the organization.
John Dorsey (Detroit Lions senior executive)
Another former GM with a proven track record. Brett Veach may get credit for landing Patrick Mahomes, but Dorsey built the foundation of Kansas City's juggernaut with studs like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. He also landed Tyreek Hill during his time there. He then moved to Cleveland, where he had an excellent 2018 draft with Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward, and Nick Chubb. While not known for his communication prowess, Dorsey is a terrific talent evaluator and somebody Warren would know from his time in Green Bay during the 2000s.
Adam Peters (San Francisco 49ers assistant GM)
Kevin Warren said his only interest is in winning. So it would make sense if he targets a GM candidate with a long track record in that department. Peters helped New England and Denver both win Super Bowls before joining the 49ers in 2017. Since then, he's helped assemble one of the most loaded rosters in the NFL, offensively and defensively. Many felt he should've been running his own team by now. He's seen the blueprint for building a champion in three locations. You can't ask for much more.
Tom Gamble (Michigan VP of Player Personnel)
Gamble is the obvious choice if the Bears were looking for a package deal with Harbaugh. He is a veteran personnel man with a strong track record at both the college and NFL levels. He had a hand in constructing the 49ers team that reached the NFC championship in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Over the past six years, he has primarily helped Michigan assemble one of the best rosters in the Big Ten. Warren should know him almost as well as he knows Harbaugh. That would make the transition an easy one.
Jim Nagy (Senior Bowl director)
As a former NFL scout, Nagy helped New England and Seattle win Super Bowl titles. He has since earned a glowing reputation for his work at the Senior Bowl, constantly assembling rosters of excellent talent. College evaluation is his bread and butter. Not only that, but his job puts him in constant communication with coaches and executives around the league. Warren should know him well. Big Ten seniors attend the event every year. This would be a fascinating route if the Bears president wanted to think outside the box.
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