<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-brett-favre-perfect-fit-head-coach');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brett Favre names ‘perfect fit’ for Bears’ head coach');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brett-Favre-names-perfect-fit-head-coach-for-Chicago.jpg"></figure><h1>Brett Favre names ‘perfect fit’ for Bears’ head coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-10T19:13:30-08:00">January 10th, 7:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-10T19:13:30-08:00">January 10th, 7:13pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-expensive-sales-pitch-change-in-coaching-search">Chicago Bears’ head coach search underway</a>, many different candidates have emerged as a potential fit in Halas Hall. While many want the Bears to hire <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-lions-ben-johnson-betting-favorite-chicago-next-head-coach">Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson</a>, another name that arose was Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. Though the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-dallas-shuts-down-bears-plan-interview-mike-mccarthy">Cowboys denied him permission to interview with the Bears</a>, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre joined TMZ Sports to explain why he thought McCarthy was a <a href="https://x.com/TMZ_Sports/status/1877831330760704148" rel="noopener">perfect fit</a> for the Bears’ opening.</p><p>“From the outside looking in, yes, I think it is a good fit,” Favre said in a one-on-one interview with TMZ’s Steven Goldberg on Friday. “[Mike McCarthy] has done a great job of developing young quarterbacks. So, if you’re looking at it from that perspective, yeah, I think he’s a perfect fit.”</p><p>As Chicago searches for a new head coach to run the show after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-fire-matt-eberflus-following-lions-disaster">Matt Eberflus’ firing</a>, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-jaylon-johnson-caleb-williams-stability-hc-search">development of Caleb Williams is paramount</a>. While other things matter in the search for a new head coach, the most important thing is that Williams gets the pairing that will get the most out of their No. 1 overall quarterback.</p><p>After helping develop Aaron Rodgers into becoming one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/packers-news-aaron-rodgers-eye-opening-claim-make-brett-favre-look-twice">best players in Packers history</a>, McCarthy’s name is a bit controversial among the NFL community due to a lack of playoff success.</p><p>While not everyone likes the idea of McCarthy coming to the Bears, Favre had nothing but kind words to say about his former head coach and the job he’s done in leading the Cowboys.</p><p>“It’s so unfair for me to say because I’m not there in the day-to-day operations,” Favre said. “I know Jerry Jones will make the decision, but he makes decisions based upon what his gut tells him, not what other people say. But, I was very vocal in supporting [Mike McCarthy] when he got that job. I thought he would be a good fit for that job because he’s a tough, disciplinary-type guy. It’s a tough one. They haven’t had the success that everyone expected them to have, and I’m sure [Mike McCarthy] would be the first to admit that.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cowboys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cowboys</a> no longer want <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MikeMcCarthy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MikeMcCarthy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BrettFavre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BrettFavre</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMZSports?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TMZSports</a> the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bears?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bears</a> should … saying he believes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chicago?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chicago</a> and the head coach would be a "perfect fit." 🤠🏈🐻  <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Exclusive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Exclusive</a> story here: <a href="https://t.co/KWzvCTmn12">https://t.co/KWzvCTmn12</a> <a href="https://t.co/wBPVCRB0xH">pic.twitter.com/wBPVCRB0xH</a></p><p>— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ_Sports/status/1877831330760704148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So, although the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-jerry-jones-sounds-off-mike-mccarthys-job-immediately-after-season-ends">Cowboys haven’t fired McCarthy</a> after a disappointing 2024 season, Favre believes he’d be a perfect fit with the Bears if that opportunity opened up this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brett Favre names ‘perfect fit’ for Bears’ head coach

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-claim-chargers-lineman-waivers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears claim ex-Chargers lineman off waivers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-news-Chicago-claims-Chargers-linemAn-off-waivers.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears claim ex-Chargers lineman off waivers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-10T18:04:30-08:00">January 10th, 6:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-10T18:04:30-08:00">January 10th, 6:04pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-wiliams-fires-back-stupid-criticism-offensive-line">concerns about the Chicago Bears’ offensive line</a> after rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led the league in sacks taken, general manager Ryan Poles <a href="https://x.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1877828332479262826" rel="noopener">made a move</a> on Friday that could help bolster up the trenches, claiming a former Los Angeles Chargers lineman, per Jeremy Fowler on X.</p><p>“The #Bears have claimed OL Jordan McFadden, per source,” Fowler wrote.</p><p>After Jordan McFadden was released on Jan. 9, it didn’t take long for him to find a new home, as the Bears claimed him just one day later.</p><p>Considering the concerning lack of depth in the trenches on both sides of the ball, this wasn’t an overly surprising move by the Bears.</p><p>Developing Williams should’ve been the Bears’ plan after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/meet-caleb-williams-the-bears-no-1-pick-in-2024-nfl-draft">selecting him with the No. 1 pick in 2024</a>, but that didn’t quite shake out in his rookie season.</p><p>Williams got sacked 68 times in 2024, leading the entire NFL in that category. Now, some of the sacks were his fault, but on more plays than the Bears would like to admit, Williams had pressure in his face before he even received the snap.</p><p>And as the Bears look to bounce back in 2025, Poles and Co. must address the offensive line.</p><h2><b>Bears make first OL move of 2025, claiming ex-Chargers OG Jordan McFadden</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jordan-McFadden.jpg"><figcaption>Stan Szeto-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After five seasons with Clemson as a four-year starter, the Chargers selected McFadden in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/chargers-2023-nfl-draft-grades">fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft</a>.</p><p>In his time with the Chargers, McFadden didn’t see the field much, appearing in 163 offensive snaps in 2023 and just one in 2024.</p><p>So, although he’s more than likely a depth piece for the Bears, they desperately need healthy bodies on the offensive line.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-protector-uncertain-future">Teven Jenkins’ future with the Bears looking murky</a> as free agency approaches, Chicago could lose a quality guard if they don’t re-sign him. However, with a slew of injuries for Jenkins since being drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, the team could move on from him if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-bears-not-expected-re-sign-caleb-williams-protector">both parties can’t agree to a new contract extension</a>.</p><p>And although he’s not the same quality lineman as Jenkins, the Bears added depth to their offensive line, which is something they desperately need to continue doing this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears claim ex-Chargers lineman off waivers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl-news-what-bothers-peyton-manning-caleb-williams-bryce-young-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'What bothers Peyton Manning most with Caleb Williams, Bryce Young struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NFL-news-What-bothers-Peyton-Manning-most-about-Caleb-Williams-Bryce-Young-struggling.jpg"></figure><h1>What bothers Peyton Manning most with Caleb Williams, Bryce Young struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-10T13:42:17-08:00">January 10th, 1:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-10T14:00:18-08:00">January 10th, 2:00pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Carolina Panthers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Within their first couple of seasons in the league, rookie quarterbacks are some of the most scrutinized players in the NFL. Given how impactful the quarterback position is, the criticism is somewhat justified, even if it isn’t necessarily fair. This notion of early struggles has been seen with Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and the same happened with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/panthers-news-how-carolina-plans-turn-bryce-young-around-after-disaster-rookie-season">Bryce Young in his rookie season</a> with the Carolina Panthers. However, in an episode of <i>This is Football</i>, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning joined Kevin Clark to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkbEIAEvvPM&amp;t=678s" rel="noopener">explain why</a> these rookie quarterbacks might struggle so much during their first couple of seasons in the league.</p><p>“It bothers me that Bryce Young is already on his third play-caller and he’s only played two seasons,” Manning said. “Caleb Williams is going to be on his third play-caller sometime next September. That to me is a miss. If we’re going to draft this guy, okay who is the head coach going to be, the coordinator, this is the system that we’re going to run. If the coordinator leaves and takes a head coaching job, I want the guy that’s replacing him shadowing him 24/7.</p><p>“Tom Brady had the same system his whole career. I had the same system my first 14 years in Indy. There’s a reason going back to those reps. It’s an organizational plan, what is the best way to develop this guy? Don’t make him learn Latin, German, and French, all in the first two years, that’s not fair.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If Peyton Manning could tell teams how to develop young QBs, what would he say? His answer should be on every owners' desk today. </p><p>This Is Football with Peyton previewing the playoff QBs just dropped. <a href="https://t.co/qq5fGrylfg">pic.twitter.com/qq5fGrylfg</a></p><p>— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) <a href="https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1877793064707584111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Now, when it comes to struggles early on in an NFL career, Manning is a pretty reliable source. For those who aren’t aware, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/peyton-manning-makes-interception-record-request-to-rookies-but-not-broncos-bo-nix">Peyton Manning holds the record</a> for most interceptions thrown by a quarterback in their rookie season with 28, dating all the way back to 1998.</p><p>Even with more games in a season, Manning’s record has remained unbroken. Some have come close, though Manning reigns supreme in that department, still, after nearly three decades.</p><p>With how short the leash is for NFL head coaches and coordinators nowadays, rookie quarterbacks are even more difficult to develop.</p><p>Before the days of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jaguars-news-trevor-lawrence-signs-275-million-contract-extension">paying quarterbacks $50 million per season</a>, there wasn’t a huge rush to get rookie quarterbacks playing within the first couple of years. Now, however, it’s almost become rare for quarterbacks drafted early to sit much, if at all.</p><p>NFL teams want to capitalize on quarterbacks within their rookie contract, as it allows for that extra money to be allocated elsewhere. Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers is a great example of that.</p><p>Since Purdy was on a rookie deal after being selected with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/49ers-news-brock-purdy-explains-how-mr-irrelevant-label-helps-him-play-more-freely">final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft</a>, his contract was less expensive than someone who was drafted in the first round.</p><p>With that, the 49ers were able to use their money elsewhere, surrounding Purdy with loads of weapons on both sides of the ball.</p><p>And since Purdy’s coaching staff has been relatively untouched since he was drafted, he hasn’t been forced to learn, re-learn, and forget past teachings.</p><p>As Peyton Manning said, it’s like teaching them three different languages throughout the course of just a couple of seasons.</p><p>Young and Wiliams have both struggled during their respective rookie seasons. However, if the Panthers and Bears can get some stability in their coaching staffs, it’s entirely possible that both quarterbacks can flourish in the NFL.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What bothers Peyton Manning most with Caleb Williams, Bryce Young struggles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-chicago-radio-host-blasts-caleb-williams-work-ethic');   ga('set', 'title', 'Chicago radio host blasts Caleb Williams’ work ethic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-news-Chicago-radio-host-blasts-Caleb-Williams-work-ethic.jpg"></figure><h1>Chicago radio host blasts Caleb Williams’ work ethic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-10T12:30:39-08:00">January 10th, 12:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-10T13:43:34-08:00">January 10th, 1:43pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bears were one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-power-rankings-bucs-win-division-bengals-miss-playoffs">Chicago finished the regular season with a record of 5-12</a> at the bottom of the NFC North division standings. The Bears missed the playoffs, largely because the team imploded after their bye week and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-end-number-brutal-streaks-last-second-win-over-packers">went 1-10 down the back portion of their schedule</a>. One local radio host believes he knows why this happened.</p><p>Bears QB Caleb Williams came under fire on Friday with allegations about <a href="https://x.com/captaincaleb18/status/1877441510192402735" rel="noopener">his work ethic not being good enough</a>.</p><p>“I have got a laundry list of people who would know, that dude doesn’t work hard enough,” David Kaplan of ESPN Chicago said on Friday.</p><p>This soundbite came as a surprise to some Bears fans, especially because Kaplan had praised Williams throughout the regular season.</p><p><b><i>For insight on the NFL coaching carousel, listen below:</i></b></p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>When looking at simple accounting stats, Williams had a solid rookie season. Williams had 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions on the season.</p><p>Caleb had four interceptions during his first three games, but got his turnover issues under control for the rest of the season. However, he was not able to rescue an unsalvageable season that saw Chicago <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-head-coach-matt-eberflus-fires-shane-waldron">fire both head coach Matt Eberflus and OC Shane Waldron</a> midseason.</p><p>All of that said, there are plenty of reasons to doubt whether <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-fans-ready-to-run-wall-bold-statement">Williams will live up to the huge amount of hype surrounding him</a> when he entered the league.</p><p>Perhaps all the Bears really need is a competent coaching staff.</p><h2><b>Bears search for new head coach to pair with Caleb Williams</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lukas-Van-Ness-and-the-Packers-pass-rush-has-fallen-short-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Chicago is still optimistic that Caleb Williams will be the future of the franchise at the quarterback position. Now they just need to find a coaching staff that can bring the best out of him.</p><p>The Bears have begun their hunt for a new head coach following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.</p><p>There are a number of names in contention for Chicago’s head coaching job. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-mike-vrabel-patriots-hype">Bears have interviewed Mike Vrabel</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-interviewing-iowa-state-matt-campbell">Iowa State coach Matt Campbell</a>. Chicago is also interested in Lions OC Ben Johnson, one of the hottest names on the market over the past few years.</p><p>In fact, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-lions-ben-johnson-betting-favorite-chicago-next-head-coach">betting markets have Chicago as the favorite to land Johnson</a> as their next head coach.</p><p>Chicago does not plan to stop there. Instead, it sounds like the organization will cast an extremely wide net and perform a thorough search.</p><p>Bears GM Ryan Poles also teased on Tuesday that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-ryan-poles-surprises-head-coaching-interviews">there may be some surprising candidates</a> who get interviews for this role.</p><p>“There’s going to be some names that you don’t expect, that will surprise you,” Poles said.</p><p>It remains to be seen who some of these surprise candidates could be.</p><p>One thing seems certain based on Poles’ comments. The Bears will not be concluding their search for a new head coach anytime soon.</p><p>It will be fascinating to see what type of coach Chicago hires after moving on from a defensive-minded coach in Eberflus.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chicago radio host blasts Caleb Williams’ work ethic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/packers-news-jeff-hafley-gets-brutally-honest-about-defensive-meltdown-bears');   ga('set', 'title', 'Packers’ Jeff Hafley gets brutally honest about meltdown vs. Bears');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jeff-Hafley-gets-brutally-honest-about-defensive-meltdown-vs-Bears.jpg"></figure><h1>Packers’ Jeff Hafley gets brutally honest about meltdown vs. Bears</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T19:02:21-08:00">January 9th, 7:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T19:02:21-08:00">January 9th, 7:02pm</time><address><a>Daniel Locke</a>Daniel Locke covers the New Orleans Pelicans and is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. He will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Journalism in May. Daniel has covered Auburn Athletics for the entirety of his time as a student, focusing on football, men's basketball, and baseball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Green Bay Packers fell 24-22 to the Chicago Bears – their biggest rival – in heart-breaking fashion in their regular season finale. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-emotional-thomas-brown-gesture-historic-packers-win">Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was able to connect</a> with wide receiver D.J. Moore for an 18-yard gain. That play set Cairo Santon up for a game-winning 51-yard field goal.</p><p>The Packers lined up interestingly, having three safeties 25 yards down the field. This decision left the middle of the field wide open for Williams and Moore.</p><p>Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2025/01/09/packers-jeff-hafley-blames-miscommunication-for-late-game-collapse-vs-the-bears/" rel="noopener">blamed miscommunication for his secondary</a> lining up in the wrong coverage.</p><p>“There was miscommunication,” Hafley said. “It’s not the call we were supposed to be in, certainly not at that time. Obviously, frustrating, disappointing. Learn from it. Move on, and we have we’re on a Philly, but I’m not, I’m not gonna sit here and get in the rehash all that, and I’m sorry that I can’t do that.”</p><p>The Packers used a timeout prior to the play, making the miscommunication even more concerning.</p><p>“It clearly was not what we were supposed to be in,” Hafley said. “Certainly. So miscommunication, not, not, not ideal with what we were going to be in. Disappointing, learn from, it will never happen again. So learning experience.”</p><p>The Packers will have a chance to redeem themselves against the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round on Sunday.</p><h2><b>How can the Packers beat the Bears?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/synusatn_wl_76555676007-apc-packers-vs-49-ers-1124241332-djp.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Powers / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Packers ended up with the final playoff spot in the NFC, setting them up for a wild-card matchup with the No. 2 seed Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.</p><p>The Eagles have one of the best <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/eagles-news-jason-kelce-drops-harsh-take-saquon-barkley-falling-short-rushing-record">running backs in the league in Saquon Barkley</a>. On 345 carries, Barkley totaled 2,005 yards rushing – the most in the NFL – and 13 touchdowns.</p><p>The Packers need to find a way to contain Barkley. Their secondary is capable of holding Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts – currently listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup – in check, making Green Bay’s ability to stop Barkley a top storyline ahead of the game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Packers’ Jeff Hafley gets brutally honest about meltdown vs. Bears

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-interim-coach-surprising-take-timeframe-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears interim coach has surprising take on timeframe for success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Interim-coach-has-surprising-take-on-timeframe-for-success.png"></figure><h1>Bears interim coach has surprising take on timeframe for success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T14:52:15-08:00">January 9th, 2:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T14:52:15-08:00">January 9th, 2:52pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Though their 5-12 record in 2024 might’ve painted a mostly negative picture for more Chicago Bears fans, not everyone has the same outlook on them moving forward. Some Bears fans might be pessimistic, expecting nothing but negative results moving forward unless <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-george-mccaskey-responds-sell-team-chants-heard-seahawks-game">George McCaskey sells the team</a>. However, interim head coach Thomas Brown had a <a href="https://x.com/BearsMarquee/status/1876319821647974577" rel="noopener">different perspective</a> of the team’s future, per Marquee Bears on X.</p><p>“I don’t know what’s a major adjustment,” Brown said. “That is kind of hard to tell. I think having some time to maybe step away and be more reflective— because I just stepped out of it a day ago— will give me a better perspective when it comes to that.</p><p>“Obviously, a very difficult division, tough division. And it’s not going to get any weaker. But, I would love the opportunity for the challenge to go address that and move forward with it. When that time comes, I think, we’re probably not as far away as some people may think we are, when it comes to those missing pieces. To me, it’s more about the mentality, the culture change, and the daily approach when it comes to putting yourself in a spot to go compete at the highest level.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Probably not as far away as people may think we are.”</p><p>Thomas Brown on how close the Bears are to being a winning team. <a href="https://t.co/XhxrHD2Asc">pic.twitter.com/XhxrHD2Asc</a></p><p>— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BearsMarquee/status/1876319821647974577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>When dissecting the Bears, many had <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/chicago-bears-bold-predictions-for-2024-nfl-season">high expectations for the 2024 season</a> because of the playmakers on offense.</p><p>Led by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears had one of the more intriguing offenses entering 2024.</p><p>With a receiving corp of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, the Bears — for once — appeared like they could’ve had a stronger offense than defense.</p><p>And given the Bears’ history throughout the years as the Monster of the Midway, there was a new belief that the offense could carry this team.</p><p>However, after winning just five games — including their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-end-number-brutal-streaks-last-second-win-over-packers">Week 18 matchup against the Green Bay Packers </a>— it was proven — again — that the Bears offseason hype in 2024 was nothing but excited fans being that: excited. With that, the Bears’ interim head coach has a stronger outlook on the near future.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-push-back-wasted-caleb-williams-rookie-season">Williams showed enough promise</a> to excite fans about his future, but that depends on who the Bears hire as their next head coach.</p><p>With Detroit Lions offensive coordinator <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-lions-ben-johnson-betting-favorite-chicago-next-head-coach">Ben Johnson leading the Bears’ coaching search</a>, he would be an incredible leader for the rookie quarterback to be in-stride with.</p><p>Though the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-where-pete-carroll-ranks-head-coaching-candidates">Bears have a CVS receipt of candidates</a> they’re planning on interviewing, Brown doesn’t see this team as requiring a massive rework.</p><p>In fact, Brown thinks the Bears are close to becoming competitive in the NFC, specifically the NFC North.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears interim coach has surprising take on timeframe for success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-lions-ben-johnson-betting-favorite-chicago-next-head-coach');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions’ Ben Johnson the betting favorite to be Bears’ next head coach');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/0-Lions-Ben-Johnson-the-betting-favorite-to-be-Chicagos-next-head-coach-0.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions’ Ben Johnson the betting favorite to be Bears’ next head coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T13:38:47-08:00">January 9th, 1:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T13:38:47-08:00">January 9th, 1:38pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-best-bears-head-coach-replacements-after-matt-eberflus-firing">Bears are casting a wide net as they look for their next head coach</a>. But even as names get added to the search, one candidate is seen in a higher class than the rest.</p><p>Current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson <a href="https://x.com/CPBetting/status/1877115511252664663/photo/1" rel="noopener">is the favorite</a> (+100) to be named next head coach of the Bears, via betonline.ag. Kliff Kingsbury is in second at +450 while Aaron Glenn and Brian Flores have identical +500 odds. Marcus Freeman (+700) and Mike Vrabel (+900) round out the top six.</p><p>Johnson is one of the most coveted coaches in the league, also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-ben-johnson-cant-ruled-out-patriots-mike-vrabel-pursuit">seeing interest from teams like the New England Patriots</a> and Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s no surprised based on what he has transformed the Lions’ offense into.</p><p>Detroit finished the regular season ranked second in total offense, averaging 409.5 yards per game. Their passing offense ranked second (263.9 YPG) while their rushing attack ranked sixth (146.4).</p><p>For Johnson to take on any head coaching role, he is going to need building blocks for a strong offense in place. The Bears have No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams to offer. His rookie season may not have blown everyone away. But there’s a reason Williams went number one, and the quarterback will be Chicago’s biggest selling point as they try to woo candidates to town.</p><p>Starting all 17 games as a rookie, Williams completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He did a solid job of limiting turnovers, however, Williams was unable to reach his true ceiling as a passer.</p><p>Perhaps with a new offensive gameplan in place, Williams can truly be unleashed. And that’s exactly what the Bears are hoping Ben Johnson can bring to the table. He helped Lions quarterback Jared Goff complete 72.4 percent of his passes for 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024.</p><p>The Bears will have plenty of competition for Johnson. But right now, they’re at the top of the list to actually acquire his services.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions’ Ben Johnson the betting favorite to be Bears’ next head coach

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-expensive-sales-pitch-change-in-coaching-search');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears make expensive sales pitch change in coaching search');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chicago-makes-expensive-sales-pitch-change-in-coaching-search.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears make expensive sales pitch change in coaching search</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T10:31:30-08:00">January 9th, 10:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T10:31:30-08:00">January 9th, 10:31am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bears are going all-out for their sales pitch in finding their next head coach. The 2024-25 season was one the franchise would like to forget. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-matt-eberflus-firing-chicago-fans-going-wild">Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus</a> after a disastrous Thanksgiving performance. Even with the move, the opening is one of the better opportunities across the league.</p><p>However, the franchise has been known for being cheap, compared to others. General manager Ryan Poles is doing his best to change that culture in the organization. An ESPN report detailed that “Part of that franchise facelift will mean not making the candidates fly in economy class, according to a team source.”</p><p>Poles reiterated that claim and knows that to land the big fish, they <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43338186/nfl-bears-coaching-search-ryan-poles" rel="noopener">need to spend a little more</a> than usual.</p><p>“That’s going to be taken care of,” a team source recently told ESPN. “If anyone comes in to interview and digs into how we do things, they’re going to understand that this is a first-class organization.”</p><h2><b>Who is involved in the Bears head coaching search?</b></h2><p>Many coordinators and even former head coaches have the Bears’ interest. A stacked offense with Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet is impressive. Not to mention, the defense has been consistent for quite a while. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-ryan-poles-surprises-head-coaching-interviews">Poles teased some of the Bears’ interviews</a> for the head coaching spot.</p><p>Flying first-class is a luxury for many. Also, going above and beyond gives the candidates a glimpse of the franchise. Even with a 5-12 record, there’s plenty of potential. After all, Williams said that he wants to be coached and held accountable. Chicago needs a true leader who’s not afraid to make tough decisions and call out others when necessary.</p><p>Furthermore, the search will likely extend to the end of the playoffs. The organization wants to take its time in finding the right person. Williams is even <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/nfl-news-caleb-williams-bears-set-to-hire-former-super-bowl-champion-as-head-coach" rel="noopener">getting insight from management</a> about who to hire. Still, actions speak louder than words, and that’s what the Bears seem to be doing. An extensive search is warranted for the next few years of their franchise.</p><p>Guys like Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell have been at the top of their list. Again, time will tell who they want to pick. Leaving a first impression is essential, especially for a franchise that’s used to being cheap for things like this. No matter what, the next head coach will take on an impressive roster and will have support from management in all circumstances.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears make expensive sales pitch change in coaching search

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-top-nfl-free-agency-targets-2025-offseason-begins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears’ top NFL free agency targets as 2025 offseason begins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-top-NFL-free-agency-targets-as-2025-offseason-begins.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears’ top NFL free agency targets as 2025 offseason begins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-09T07:35:49-08:00">January 9th, 7:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-09T07:35:49-08:00">January 9th, 7:35am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but the Chicago Bears are entering one of the most crucial off-seasons in franchise history this spring, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-ryan-poles-surprises-head-coaching-interviews">begin their search for a new head coach</a> — their sixth since Lovie Smith was fired following a ten-win season in 2012 — and attempt to build a roster that is ready to compete right away while 2024 1st overall pick <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-push-back-wasted-caleb-williams-rookie-season">Caleb Williams is still on a rookie contract</a>. This process will begin not with the NFL Draft in April, but with free agency in March.</p><p>While it’s expected that the Bears will select either an offensive tackle — Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., LSU’s Will Campbell, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons — or an edge rusher — Georgia’s Mykel Williams, Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Texas A&amp;M’s Nic Scourton — with the 10th overall pick, that could largely depend on what they accomplish in free agency. With somewhere in the neighborhood of $83 million available to spend, the Bears are projected to have the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/_/year/2025/sort/cap_maximum_space" rel="noopener">5th-most cap space</a> in the league this spring, according to Spotrac.</p><p>So with all of that said, here are six free agents that Bears general manager Ryan Poles should be targeting as the offseason quickly approaches.</p><h2><b>Trey Smith, Guard </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Kansas-City-Chiefs-guard-Trey-Smith.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>© Mark Konezny-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If you’re talking about the needs of the Chicago Bears, you need to start with the offensive line. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-wiliams-fires-back-stupid-criticism-offensive-line">Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times</a>, the most in the league and the third-most in a single season in NFL history, and yes, some of this has to do with Williams holding onto the ball for longer than you’d hope, but more of the blame deserves to be placed on the shortcomings of a group that featured more combinations of players than any other unit in the league.</p><p>Second-year tackle Darnell Wright is the only starter along the offensive line who will definitely be back next season. Teven Jenkins is a free agent and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-protector-uncertain-future">there’s skepticism that the Bears will bring him back</a>. When Jenkins has been on the field he’s played at the level of a starting guard, but he’s missed 23 games in his four NFL seasons. He did play a career-high 14 games in the 2024 season, but there are still questions as to whether that’s sustainable.</p><p>The rest of the interior offensive line features no players worth building around, so that opens the door for Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith to come into the picture. Smith is fresh off of his first Pro Bowl season, but has been a rock on the Chiefs offensive line since being selected in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s only missed one game, and started all 67 that he’s played in. He ended the 2024 season as the 10th-highest graded guard in the league, per Pro Football Focus.</p><p>Assuming the Chiefs aren’t ready to shell out the money that Smith can command elsewhere — and that they don’t use the franchise tag on him — it opens the door for Chicago to swoop in and sign the Pro Bowler. Given that Ryan Poles was in Kansas City’s front office when the Chiefs selected Smith in 2021, there could be a prior relationship between the two that could play to Chicago’s advantage.</p><h2><b>Drew Dalman, Center </b></h2><p>Like Trey Smith, Falcons center Drew Dalman was one of the top-graded players at his position last season according to Pro Football Focus, but unlike Smith, the 26-year-old hasn’t been on the field as consistently as you’d hope. Dalman missed eight games in 2024 thanks to an ankle injury, but that doesn’t change his standing as the best center available in the free agency class of 2025.</p><p>Shoring up this position with Dalman and not having to shuffle through the likes of Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates would be a huge step forward for the Bears.</p><h2><b>Ronnie Stanley, Offensive Tackle </b></h2><p>Braxton Jones has been the starter at left tackle since he was selected in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but for the sake of Caleb Williams’ physical well-being, that needs to change. And the change can’t come in the form of Kiran Amegadjie, who already looks like a swing and a miss of a 3rd round pick from last season.</p><p>Enter Ronnie Stanley, a solid, albeit relatively unspectacular option to protect Caleb Williams’ blindside. Stanley is on the older side — he’ll be 31 in March — but he started all 17 games for the Baltimore Ravens this past season, and would immediately give a boost to an offensive line that is in desperate need of consistency.</p><p>My guess is, depending on how the Bears believe the first nine picks of the 2025 NFL Draft will play out, they probably won’t pursue a big money offensive tackle. But if the price is right, or if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-request-interview-afc-north-offensive-mastermind">Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken ends up being the next head coach of the Chicago Bears</a>, Stanley could be worth a long look.</p><h2><b>Khalil Mack, Edge </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Khalil-Mack-chases-down-Aidan-OConnell.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Turning to the other side of the ball, how about Ryan Poles facilitates a reunion between the Bears and Khalil Mack, since it was Poles who facilitated sending Mack out shortly after he took over as Bears general manager in 2022?</p><p>Despite the fact that Mack will be 34 at the start of the 2025 season, the veteran edge rusher has proven he has plenty of juice left. Mack has made three consecutive Pro Bowls since the Bears traded him to Los Angeles, and he’s only a year removed from a 17-sack campaign, a career-high total for the future Hall of Famer.</p><h2><b>Chase Young, Edge </b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-bears-favored-to-add-chase-young-if-49ers-dont-re-sign-him">Bears have been linked to Chase Young on numerous occasions</a> in the past, including as recently as one year ago, when there was a belief that Young could end up signing with Chicago in free agency. The hope was that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-bears-reuniting-montez-sweat-chase-young-buzz">pairing Young with former Commanders teammate Montez Sweat</a> would bring out the best in both players, but in the end, Young signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints and the Bears have yet to find a consistent pass-rusher on the opposite side of Sweat.</p><p>Even though Young has failed to live up to the promise he flashed during his first season in Washington, it’s still possible that the 25-year-old still has his best football in front of him.</p><h2><b>Jevon Holland, Safety </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jevon-Holland-jogs-onto-the-field.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jaquan Brisker has one starting safety spot locked down, and Kevin Byard performed reasonably well during his first season in Chicago. It’s possible that the Bears will ride out the 2025 season with the two of them, but there is another option… Byard has just one year left on his contract, and the Bears could save $7 million by releasing the 31-year-old before free agency begins. If that’s what Ryan Poles decides to do, Jevon Holland could be the right guy to fill that opening.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears’ top NFL free agency targets as 2025 offseason begins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-where-pete-carroll-ranks-head-coaching-candidates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Where Pete Carroll ranks among Bears’ head coaching candidates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Where-Pete-Carroll-ranks-among-Bears-head-coaching-candidates.jpg"></figure><h1>Where Pete Carroll ranks among Bears’ head coaching candidates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-08T19:31:54-08:00">January 8th, 7:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-08T19:31:54-08:00">January 8th, 7:31pm</time><address><a>Andrew Kulha</a>Andrew Kulha has been a professional sports writer since 2010. His work has been featured in publications such as Bleacher Report, 247Sports, Yardbarker, Forbes, Saturday Tradition, Saturday Down South, Prep Hoops and many others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It sure sounds like former Seattle Seahawks and USC Trojans head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-pete-carroll-showing-interest-bears-hc-vacancy">Pete Carroll wants to get back on the sidelines</a>, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-dj-moore-pete-carroll-fit-next-head-coach">Chicago Bears just so happen to have an opening</a> that could be a good fit.</p><p>Ironically enough, the Bears’ greatest hope right now is a former USC quarterback, No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Carroll coached at USC from 2001 to 2009 and he won two National Championships with the Trojans.</p><p>He coached two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks in Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, and a third Heisman winner in Reggie Bush. Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 as a member of the Trojans.</p><p>Carroll left USC in a bit of trouble with the NCAA due to multiple recruiting violations, but he skated free to the NFL, where he went on to be head coach of the Seahawks from 2010 to 2023. He won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks.</p><p>Carroll stepped down from the Seattle head coaching gig in January of 2024 after a 7-10 season in 2021 followed by two 9-8 seasons in a row in 2022 and 2023, respectively.</p><p>Now with the Bears looking to replace Matt Eberflus — who was unceremoniously fired mid-season — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-interview-super-bowl-winning-coach-mike-mccarthy-denial">Carroll will be interviewing for the Bears’ job on Thursday</a>.</p><p>Where does Carroll rank amongst the potential candidates for Chicago? Well, he’s right near the top.</p><p>ESPN is reporting that Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Tennesee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43326478/cowboys-deny-bears-permission-interview-mccarthy-source" rel="noopener">are all candidates, among others</a>.</p><p>Here’s how the Bears should rank them.</p><h2><b>1. Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions</b></h2><p>It should all start and end with Johnson for the Bears. They have a young and talented quarterback in Williams who just needs some direction and someone to believe in him. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-mvp-power-rankings-afc-north-win-likely-seals-deal-for-lamar-jackson">Johnson has turned Jared Goff into an MVP candidate for the Lions</a> and he’s without a doubt currently the best offensive play-caller in the NFL.</p><p>Johnson is creative and hungry, and what he’s done with the Lions will quickly earn him respect in Chicago’s locker room. Johnson could be the key to truly unlocking Williams’ potential</p><h2><b>2. Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks and USC Trojans head coach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Pete-Carroll-would-be-a-good-fit-for-the-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In Carroll, the Bears know they’re getting a winner. He’s done it at both the college and NFL level and even at 73 years old he’s still clearly energic and youthful (just watch him enthusiastically chew gum).</p><p>Carroll can build a strong foundation in Chicago and we know he can coach quarterbacks. He was arguably the key to Russell Wilson’s terrific early-career success, and he could do the same thing for Williams.</p><h2><b>3. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator</b></h2><p>Joe Brady was a really hot name in 2019 when he was the passing game coordinator at LSU when Joe Burrow and the Tigers went undefeated and won the National Championship.</p><p>Brady parlayed that into a job as the offense coordinator with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021 and then he became Josh Allen’s quarterback coach in Buffalo in 2022.</p><p>He’s been the Bills’ offensive coordinator this past season and he’s overseen an offense that was second in the league in scoring with 30.9 points per game, so the Bears could surely do a lot worse than Brady.</p><p>If he can turn Williams into the next Allen, he’d be a home run hire.</p><h2><b>4. Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brian-Flores-would-bring-defensive-identity-to-the-Bears.jpg"><figcaption>Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In Brian Flores you get a coach who has been a head coach before, so he knows the ropes, but he’s also a great defensive identity guy.</p><p>The Bears have always been a defense-first type organization and in Flores, they’d be getting an aggressive and young defensive mind who perhaps just didn’t have the right situation to succeed his first time around as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.</p><p>Flores was 24-25 in three seasons with Miami, but he’s really interesting as a candidate for Chicago because of the way he has Minnesota’s defense flying around this season.</p><h2><b>5. Thomas Brown, Chicago Bears interim head coach</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-thomas-brown-interview-chicago-full-time-head-coaching-gig">If the Bears decide to stick with Brown</a>, at the very least they’d be giving Williams and the offense some consistency — and that can’t be underrated.</p><p>Brown went 1-4 as the interim head coach in Chicago after being promoted from offensive coordinator, but that one win did <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-end-number-brutal-streaks-last-second-win-over-packers">break the Bears’ 11-game losing skid to the Green Bay Packers</a>.</p><h2><b>6. Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach</b></h2><p>You know what you’re getting with Vrabel, and that could be considered good or bad if you’re the Bears. He’s a former player and he’d bring the New England Patriots’ style of toughness and accountability to Chicago. For a young Bears squad, that could be invaluable.</p><p>He also had a decent amount of success with the Titans, who, frankly, are a bad franchise. He went 54-45 in six seasons in Tennessee and took the Titans to the playoffs three times.</p><p>There’s a lot to like about Vrabel, but with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/beantown-rundown-patriots-must-hire-mike-vrabel-firing-jerod-mayo">Patriots having recently fired Jarod Mayo</a>, it seems like he could be destined to join up again with Robert Kraft.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Where Pete Carroll ranks among Bears’ head coaching candidates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-chicago-interviewing-iowa-state-matt-campbell');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears reportedly interviewing Iowa State’s Matt Campbell');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chicago-reportedly-interviewing-Iowa-States-Matt-Campbell.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears reportedly interviewing Iowa State’s Matt Campbell</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-08T14:48:30-08:00">January 8th, 2:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-08T14:59:32-08:00">January 8th, 2:59pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bears have a head coach opening and are interviewing a bevy of candidates. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lions-news-ben-johnson-sets-up-4-head-coaching-interviews-during-detroit-first-round-bye">Top candidates like Ben Johnson</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-interview-super-bowl-winning-coach-mike-mccarthy-denial">veterans like Pete Carroll</a> and Mike McCarthy have been on their wishlist. But on Wednesday, a dark-horse name emerged as an option in the Windy City. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/01/08/chicago-bears-matt-campbell-interview/" rel="noopener"> reported that</a> Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell is expected to interview with the Bears.</p><p>Campbell interviewed for the Detroit Lions job when Dan Campbell got it in 2021. Since then, the Cyclones have put together a few solid seasons. This year, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/iowa-state-cyclones-most-blame-big-12-title-game-loss-arizona-state">fell to Arizona State in the Big 12 Championship Game</a> but beat Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Few college coaches make the jump to the NFL but Campbell could be the next one.</p><p>The Bears are one of the more intriguing jobs available because of quarterback Caleb Williams. After an up-and-down rookie season, the promising prospect could lure a big-name coach to Chicago.</p><h2><b>Who is the best fit for the Bears head coaching role? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Matt-Campbell-with-Iowa-State.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bears are not making front-office changes after their brutal five-win season. Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren are hiring the coach so that could scare some candidates away. If a coach wants to bring a general manager along with him, the Bears are not the job for him. But Campbell won’t have that desire.</p><p>Coming out of college, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll had tremendous success. But that was both of their second runs in the NFL. Urban Meyer was a disaster, as were Chip Kelly and Nick Saban. There is no through-line to success in the NFL, but history does not favor first-time coaches fresh out of college.</p><p>The best fit for the Bears’ role is someone with an offensive mind to work with Williams. Campbell fits that mold, so if the interview goes well, don’t be surprised if he lands in Chicago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears reportedly interviewing Iowa State’s Matt Campbell

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lions-news-ben-johnson-sets-up-4-head-coaching-interviews-during-detroit-first-round-bye');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ben Johnson sets up 4 head coaching interviews during Lions’ first-round bye');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ben-Johnson-sets-up-4-head-coaching-interviews-during-Detroits-first-round-bye.jpg"></figure><h1>Ben Johnson sets up 4 head coaching interviews during Lions’ first-round bye</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-08T13:06:07-08:00">January 8th, 1:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-08T13:06:07-08:00">January 8th, 1:06pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The offseason is here for the NFL teams that didn’t make the playoffs, and some of those teams are looking for a new head coach. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-chicago-immediately-requests-head-coach-interviews-ben-johnson-aaron-glenn">hottest name in the market right now is Ben Johnson</a>, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Johnson has been a major part of the recent Lions surge, and he is destined to become a head coach. In fact, <a href="https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/1877078875798126881" rel="noopener">he has four interviews</a> set up for this week as Detroit has a bye in the first round of the playoffs.</p><p>“Sources: #Lions OC Ben Johnson — the top candidate in this year’s cycle — is scheduled to interview with four teams and has set up virtual meetings as follows: – Raiders &amp; Patriots on Friday – Bears &amp; Jaguars on Saturday,” Jordan Schultz said in a post.</p><p>It was a big surprise last offseason when Ben Johnson decided that he wanted to return to the Lions instead of taking a job as a head coach. He was a hot commodity then, but after another extremely impressive season, he is certainly the most sought-after target.</p><p>The Lions finished the regular season with the best scoring offense in the NFL and the second best total offense ranking. Johnson has this unit clicking on all cylinders, and his creativity with play-calling makes this offense one of the most fun units to watch in all of football.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Lions, it looks like this will likely be the last season that Ben Johnson is the offensive coordinator in Detroit. He clearly has interest in being a head coach as he has these interviews set up, and he’s too good of a coach to not be leading a team.</p><p>The Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars. Those are the teams <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jaguars-news-jacksonville-officially-join-ben-johnson-pursuit">that Johnson will interview with</a> this week. Let’s take a quick look at all four of them.</p><h2><b>Raiders</b></h2><p>The Raiders finished this season with a 4-13 record and they came in last place in the AFC West. Vegas has whiffed on some recent hires, but getting Ben Johnson would give the fans something to be excited about. Johnson can get his quarterback in the NFL Draft, and things could be on the rise in Vegas.</p><h2><b>Patriots</b></h2><p>The Patriots just finished up another disappointing season, and like the Raiders, they moved on from their head coach after just one season. New England finished with a 4-13 record and they came in last place in the AFC East. However, rookie QB Drake Maye showed some promise and he could excel in a Ben Johnson offense.</p><h2><b>Bears</b></h2><p>The Bears fired their head coach in the middle of the season, and that fan base wants Ben Johnson badly. Chicago finished in last place in the NFC North with a 5-12 record, and the Windy City is more than ready to have a football team that gives them something to cheer about. Rookie QB Caleb Williams has provided some excitement for the Bears, and a head coach like Johnson could be exactly what he needs to reach his full potential.</p><h2><b>Jaguars</b></h2><p>The Jaguars looked like they were built for sustained success a couple years ago, but after a bad collapse to finish last season, Jacksonville was never able to get things trending in the right direction again. Perhaps Ben Johnson can come in and right the ship after an ugly 4-13 campaign.</p><p>Ben Johnson still has a lot of work to do with the Lions as Detroit is the one seed in the NFC and they are hungry for a Super Bowl. However, it is clear that Johnson is thinking about the next step in his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben Johnson sets up 4 head coaching interviews during Lions’ first-round bye

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cowboys-news-dallas-shuts-down-bears-plan-interview-mike-mccarthy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cowboys shut down Bears’ plan to interview Mike McCarthy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cowboys-news-Dallas-shuts-down-Bears-plan-to-interview-Mike-McCarthy.jpg"></figure><h1>Cowboys shut down Bears’ plan to interview Mike McCarthy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T18:24:42-08:00">January 7th, 6:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T18:24:42-08:00">January 7th, 6:24pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears are both getting their offseasons underway after missing the playoffs. Chicago fired Matt Eberflus and is looking for the answer at head coach. Mike McCarthy’s contract is up with the Cowboys and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-mike-mccarthy-set-sights-on-bears-done-cowboys">Bears requested an interview</a> with him for their role. But Dallas <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1876783417536266552" rel="noopener">has denied the request</a>, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p>ESPN Source: The Dallas Cowboys denied permission to the Chicago Bears to interview their head coach Mike McCarthy,” Schefter posted on Tuesday.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-reporter-shares-insight-mike-mccarthy-future-bears-interest">Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights with McCarthy</a> that run through January 14. Jerry Jones can work with McCarthy to bring him back if that is what he wants. But it is a two-way street, as the coach could want to leave the team as well. But that is not known and cannot be until the window ends.</p><p>The Bears have cast a wide net while interviewing for their head coach vacancy. While they do have big names like Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel on their list, they have unique ones too. Drew Petzing, Cardinals offensive coordinator, and Mike Kafka, Giants defensive coordinator, are just two of those unique names.</p><p>Which candidate best fits the Bears? And what is the future between the Cowboys and McCarthy?</p><h2><b>How will the Cowboys and Bears move forward?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mike-McCarthy-with-Dallas-Cowboys-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The denial shows that the Cowboys are serious about keeping Mike McCarthy. His previous three seasons ended with 12 regular season wins each but only one total playoff win. This fourth season was disastrous, mostly because of injuries. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Micah Parsons all missed time this season.</p><p>The Cowboys may give McCarthy another shot with a fully healthy roster. But they also have a big roster decision to make with Parsons, who needs a new contract before hitting free agency after next season. If they keep McCarthy and Parsons, expect them to contend for a playoff spot next season. But this is also a chance for Jones to give this core a fresh reset if that is what he wants.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Bears are looking at a ton of candidates to lead the team in Caleb Williams’ second season. He was solid in his rookie season but could not break their playoff drought. The expectations will be high and the NFC North is among the toughest divisions in the league. McCarthy would be a good fit but they should be shooting for the stars of Vrabel and Johnson.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cowboys shut down Bears’ plan to interview Mike McCarthy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-chicago-interview-super-bowl-winning-coach-mike-mccarthy-denial');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears interviewing top head coach after Mike McCarthy denial');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chicago-to-interview-Super-Bowl-winning-coach-after-Mike-McCarthy-interview-denial.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears interviewing top head coach after Mike McCarthy denial</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T17:49:10-08:00">January 7th, 5:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T18:00:46-08:00">January 7th, 6:00pm</time><address><a>Daniel Locke</a>Daniel Locke covers the New Orleans Pelicans and is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. He will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Journalism in May. Daniel has covered Auburn Athletics for the entirety of his time as a student, focusing on football, men's basketball, and baseball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bears have had a head coaching vacancy since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-matt-eberflus-firing-chicago-fans-going-wild">they parted ways with Matt Eberflus</a> following their loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.</p><p>Dallas Cowboys head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-reporter-shares-insight-mike-mccarthy-future-bears-interest">Mike McCarthy was considered</a> to be a top candidate for the job. The Cowboys did not want to lose him to the Bears, however, <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1876783417536266552" rel="noopener">denying them permission to interview him</a> according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.</p><p>The Bears had to pivot and are now in pursuit of Pete Carroll, the former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The two sides <a href="https://x.com/DanGrazianoESPN/status/1876785009471689158" rel="noopener">agreed to an interview on Thursday</a>, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Carroll spent 14 seasons with the Seahawks, 2010-23, and led them to two Super Bowl appearances, winning it all in 2014.</p><p>Despite going 10-7 in 2024, the Seahawks missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. This is the longest postseason drought the Seahawks <a href="https://komonews.com/sports/seahawks/seattle-seahawks-eliminated-from-playoffs-2-year-playoff-drought-former-uw-quarterback-michael-penix-junior-jr-falcon-v-commanders#:~:text=Even%20a%20win%20against%20the,on%20Sunday%2C%20Jan.%205." rel="noopener">have had in 22 years</a>, something that never happened under Carroll’s leadership.</p><p>As Carroll is 73 years old, his age will likely come into question if the Bears decide to tap him as their next head coach.</p><h2><b>Is Pete Carroll too old for another head </b>coaching gig?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Pete-Carroll.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At 73 years old, Carroll would be the oldest head coach in the NFL by a significant margin. He would beat out the Kansas City Chiefs’s Andy Reid (66), the Baltimore Ravens’ Jon Harbaugh (61). Four current NFL coaches have had their 60th birthday – McCarthy, Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers and Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.</p><p>Additionally, Carroll would join Romeo Crennel as the only other head coach to remain active past their 73rd birthday. Carroll will turn 74 on Sept. 15, making him the oldest head coach in NFL history if he lands the Bears’ job.</p><p>As was previously mentioned, the Seahawks never had a significant playoff drought under Carroll’s leadership. The Bears, however, are in a much different position and Carroll likely would not still be the head coach when they get back to consistently competing for playoff spots.</p><p>The veteran presence that Carroll brings to the table might be a good thing for the young Bears roster as he has a long history of developing talent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears interviewing top head coach after Mike McCarthy denial

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cowboys-news-reporter-shares-insight-mike-mccarthy-future-bears-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cowboys’ reporter shares insight on Mike McCarthy’s future amid Bears interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cowboys-news-Cowboys-Reporter-shares-insight-on-Mike-McCarthy-s-future-amid-Bears-interest.jpg"></figure><h1>Cowboys’ reporter shares insight on Mike McCarthy’s future amid Bears interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T14:35:55-08:00">January 7th, 2:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T14:35:55-08:00">January 7th, 2:35pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Cowboys finished the season at 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. While it was a disappointing season, they are still not committed to changing their coach. Mike McCarthy’s contract with the Cowboys is up and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-mike-mccarthy-set-sights-on-bears-done-cowboys">Bears have requested an interview</a>. Todd Archer <a href="https://youtu.be/xB1ZOa3LjmA?t=97" rel="noopener">revealed the chances that</a> McCarthy remains in Dallas as his exclusive negotiating period continues.</p><p>“McCarthy’s contract expires on Wednesday,” Archer said on The Dan Patrick Show. “The Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights through January 14th. I would think if I’m Mike McCarthy I want to know by Wednesday because I want to know should I look into this Chicago thing, should I look into these other jobs, that these people might want me as coach.”</p><p>Archer was then asked about the percentage chance McCarthy remains with the Cowboys. “It might’ve been a 65 – 35. Talked to people after the game on Sunday and what hasn’t come out of the organization or out of the meetings with Jerry, it’s probably closer to 50-50 at this point. By the time we end our discussion it might be back to 70-30 he’s staying because this is such an in the wind.”</p><p>The Cowboys entered the season with sky-high expectations after a brutal playoff loss to the Packers last year. But they failed epically and it still might not end in a new coach.</p><h2><b>Who is the best option as head coach for the Cowboys?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mike-McCarthy-with-Dallas-Cowboys.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Regardless of who is on the sidelines for the Cowboys next season, Jerry Jones has to make a key decision this offseason. The core of the team is locked in long-term, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-news-jimmy-johnson-criticizes-jerry-jones-handling-of-dak-prescott-ceedee-lamb-contracts">Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb signing deals last season</a>. Micah Parsons could be the best trade piece of the offseason but could also stay on a big-money deal.</p><p>Mike McCarthy is the best option for the Cowboys at head coach because this core is locked in. A new coach will not have his choice of quarterback and have limited cap space to work with moving forward. But that is a reason why McCarthy should take the Bears interview.</p><p>The Bears will have Caleb Williams on a rookie contract and a lot of money to spend in free agency this offseason. That is a more attractive job than the Cowboys, who are stuck with a seven-win team. McCarthy should look at Chicago’s opening before agreeing to come back to Dallas on another contract.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cowboys’ reporter shares insight on Mike McCarthy’s future amid Bears interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-george-mccaskey-responds-sell-team-chants-heard-seahawks-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears’ George McCaskey responds to ‘sell the team’ chants heard in Seahawks game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-news-George-McCaskey-responds-to-sell-the-team-chants-heard-in-Seahawks-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears’ George McCaskey responds to ‘sell the team’ chants heard in Seahawks game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T10:36:23-08:00">January 7th, 10:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T11:09:16-08:00">January 7th, 11:09am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-push-back-wasted-caleb-williams-rookie-season">disappointing season for the Chicago Bears</a> (5-12) is in the books, and their fans have run out of patience. That’s why the Chicago faithful chanted “sell the team” after their 6-3 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-stupid-admission-horrendous-showing-seahawks">loss to the Seattle Seahawks</a> in Week 17.</p><p>Bears chairperson George McCaskey admitted that the fans <a href="https://twitter.com/sean_hammond/status/1876675082363539647" rel="noopener">have a right to be mad</a>, via Shaw Local’s Sean Hammond.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">George McCaskey was asked about “sell the team” chants at Soldier Field on Dec. 26 against Seattle. </p><p>McCaskey said he was more upset that Lions fans invaded Soldier Field a week earlier. <a href="https://t.co/rLIMhp4ItO">pic.twitter.com/rLIMhp4ItO</a></p><p>— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) <a href="https://twitter.com/sean_hammond/status/1876675082363539647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“It’s understandable. Our fans are passionate, they’re incredibly frustrated, they wanna make their voices heard,” the 68-year-old said. “I was more bothered by the week before when [Detroit] Lions fans tried to take over Soldier Field and force the home team to go to a silent snap count. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”</p><p><b><i>For insight on the NFL coaching carousel, listen below:</i></b></p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>While the Lions trounced the Bears 34-17 in Week 16, it’s good that Bears fans didn’t let Lions fans run their own house, even if ownership deserved it. That’s any franchise’s worst nightmare, and the showing of solidarity is at least a small silvering.</p><p>“It’s understandable that Bears fans would sell their tickets because of the way the season has gone, and the challenge for us is to put a team on the field that Bears fans are so excited about that they’re not interested in selling their tickets,” McCaskey continued.</p><p>Will Chicago finally get out of the abyss?</p><h2><b>Bears must get head coaching hire right</b></h2><p>The good news is that rookie quarterback Caleb Williams improved as the season went along and ended with a decent stat line of 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. The former Heisman winner’s 46.7 quarterback rating, though, ranked just 28th.</p><p>Regardless, having a young and promising quarterback is a great starting point for whoever the next head coach will be. With that being said, Chicago can’t afford another Matt Eberflus debacle. Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Brian Flores are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6040647/2025/01/06/bears-head-coaching-candidates-ryan-poles/" rel="noopener">all possible replacements</a>, via The Athletic.</p><p>While those are all worthy candidates, the Bears’ brass must do a good job of selling the team’s potential with Williams under center to woo them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears’ George McCaskey responds to ‘sell the team’ chants heard in Seahawks game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-ryan-poles-surprises-head-coaching-interviews');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears’ Ryan Poles teases ‘surprises’ in head coaching interviews');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ryan-Poles-teases-surprisesin-head-coaching-interviews.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears’ Ryan Poles teases ‘surprises’ in head coaching interviews</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T09:45:49-08:00">January 7th, 9:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T09:45:49-08:00">January 7th, 9:45am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s interview time for the Chicago Bears, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-mike-vrabel-patriots-hype">Mike Vrabel made the list</a>. Also, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-surprise-interview-request-long-time-nfc-north-stalwar">Mike McCarthy’s name has been floated</a> on Lake Michigan. But general manager Ryan Poles <a href="https://x.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/1876662235566858537" rel="noopener">teased “surprises” for</a> the head coaching interviews, according to a post on X by Courtney Cronin.</p><p>Poles addressing the head coaching search: “There’s going to be some names that you don’t expect, that will surprise you.”</p><p>Chicago started the season with a 4-2 record before hitting the lengthy skids of a 10-game losing streak. However, they closed with a thrilling last-second victory over heated rival Green Bay, a 24-22 decision on a 51-yard field goal. Joy came to the Bears for the first time <a href="https://x.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/1876662235566858537" rel="noopener">in quite a while</a>, according to nytimes.com.</p><p>“You couldn’t ask for a better way to end the season through all of what’s going on,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “Through all of (the) coaches being fired, not playing well myself. And us losing many, many games in a row.”</p><p>That probably won’t be enough for interim Thomas Brown to move forward as the Bears are trotting some hot names into their interview room.</p><h2><b>Bears GM Ryan Poles feeling the heat?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chicago-Bears-GM-Ryan-Poles.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The good new for Poles is Williams. The Bears picked him No. 1 and he has shown flashes of being a solid NFL quarterback. Egos being what they are in the NFL, all of the coaches applying for the position will walk in with the belief they can turn Williams into a star.</p><p>So Poles won’t have to sell the team to coaches. He will be in the driver’s seat. It appears Poles will get an opportunity to lead his first full head-coaching search instead of picking from a list of finalists presented to him.</p><p>One of the surprises may be Brown. Poles said he is in the mix despite some questionable decisions in close games.</p><p>“I’m excited to hear his thoughts,” Poles told the station. “Because he’s been here. He’s been here, he’s seen and reflected, just like we have, on the past and how we got to this and why the results (were) the results.”</p><h2><b>Who else is in the mix?</b></h2><p>Recently, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s name got tossed the Bears way. He has helped turn the Bills’ offense into one of the top three units in the league along with the Lions and Ravens.</p><p>Here is the list of candidates for the Bears, ranked according to the likelihood of hire:</p><p>1. Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator<br>2. Aaron Glenn, Lions defensive coordinator<br>3. Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator<br>4. Mike Vrabel, former Titans head coach<br>5. Joe Brady, Bills offensive coordinator<br>6. Todd Monken, Ravens offensive coordinator<br>7. Mike McCarthy, Cowboys head coach<br>8. Arthur Smith, Steelers offensive coordinator<br>9. Drew Petzing, Cardinals offensive coordinator<br>10. Anthony Weaver, Dolphins defensive coordinator<br>11. David Shaw, former Stanford head coach and current Broncos senior personnel executive<br>12. Mike Kafka, Giants offensive coordinator</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears’ Ryan Poles teases ‘surprises’ in head coaching interviews

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-mike-vrabel-patriots-hype');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears interviewing Mike Vrabel amid Patriots hype');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-news-Chicago-interviewing-Mike-Vrabel-amid-Patriots-hype.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears interviewing Mike Vrabel amid Patriots hype</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-07T07:32:59-08:00">January 7th, 7:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-07T07:32:59-08:00">January 7th, 7:32am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel remains one of the most popular names in the latest head-coaching cycle. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-will-officially-interview-mike-vrabel-on-friday">After Vrabel had recently been interviewed</a> by the New York Jets, another team secured <a href="https://x.com/DougKyed/status/1876623056518705400" rel="noopener">a chance to interview him</a>: the Chicago Bears. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-mike-vrabel-patriots-candidate-replace-jerod-mayo">Although many expect Vrabel</a> to take the New England Patriots job, this news shouldn’t be a surprise. The Chicago opening is one of the NFL’s more attractive coaching positions. If the Bears could hire Vrabel, they might see an instant turnaround in a highly competitive NFC North.</p><p>Vrabel, 49, was most recently a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns. His contract expired on Dec. 30, meaning he was free to interview with any team. He was the Titans head coach from 2018 to 2023, compiling a 54-45 record in his 6 seasons. Tennessee made the playoffs three straight years under Vrabel, losing in the AFC Championship game during the 2019 season. In 2020 and 2021, Vrabel won double-digit games and the AFC South crown. He was named coach of the year in 2021.</p><h2><b>What could the Bears get from Mike Vrabel as head coach?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mike-Vrabel-Bears-Titans.jpg"><figcaption>George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC</figcaption></figure><p>Known as a defensive-minded coach, adding Vrabel as head coach could elevate a Bears unit that struggled down the stretch after firing head coach Matt Eberflus, who called plays for Chicago’s defensive unit. Moreover, Vrabel will set a culture and make winning the standard in Chicago. Vrabel is a no-nonsense leader who commands the locker room and creates accountability.</p><p>Through that presence and accountability, Vrabel preaches the finer details of how to prepare his team. Vrabel’s Titans teams were prepared for anything, and he put a lot of emphasis on game management. The Bears could more than use that after struggling to find a consistent culture or identity under Matt Eberflus, the team’s last head coach.</p><p>However, as a defensive-minded coach, Vrabel must present a clear vision for his offensive coaching staff and develop young star quarterback Caleb Williams. Over six seasons in Tennessee, Vrabel cycled through four offensive coordinators: Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith, Todd Downing, and Tim Kelly. Williams is far too important for Chicago’s long-term success. So, having the proper coaching staff to encourage his growth while Vrabel is more hands-on with the Bears on defense could be the ultimate recipe for success in Chicago.</p><p>Unfortunately, Vrabel is one of the NFL’s hottest coaching candidates, so the Bears must compete to acquire him. Chicago has requested interviews with nine assistant coaches, one current head coach, and one former head coach. Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Anthony Weaver, Drew Petzing, Mike Kafka, Brian Flores, Arthur Smith, Mike McCarthy, Todd Monken, David Shaw and Vrabel are all in the mix. General manager Ryan Poles also confirmed Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown will get a formal interview for the permanent role.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears interviewing Mike Vrabel amid Patriots hype

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-request-to-interview-ex-stanford-coach-for-hc-vacancy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears request to interview ex-Stanford coach for HC vacancy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bears-news-Chicago-requests-to-interview-ex-Stanford-coach-for-HC-vacancy.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears request to interview ex-Stanford coach for HC vacancy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-06T17:31:58-08:00">January 6th, 5:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-06T17:31:58-08:00">January 6th, 5:31pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-thomas-brown-interview-chicago-full-time-head-coaching-gig">Chicago Bears have a long offseason ahead of them</a>, with plenty of boxes to check. Among the many items on their list is finding a new head coach, a process that they have seemngly already started. Chicago has reportedly asked for permission to have an interview with ex-Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw, who is also an executive with the Denver Broncos, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.</p><p>“The #Bears have requested to interview former #Stanford coach and currently #Broncos Senior Personnel Executive David Shaw for their vacant HC position, source said,” Rapoport posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening.</p><p>Apart from a current stint with the Broncos, Shaw’s other NFL jobs in the past include being an offensive quality control coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterbacks coach for the then-Oakland Raiders, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens and passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for the then-San Diego Chargers. After his time with the Chargers, Shaw went to Stanford and became the program’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach as well as running backs coach before eventually becoming the Cardinal’s head coach from 2011 to 2022.</p><p>During his time with Stanford football, Shaw handled a Cardinal team led on the field by Andrew Luck, who would go on to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during his short time in the pros.</p><h2><b>David Shaw added to growing list of potential Bears head coach candidates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Chicago-Bears-GM-Ryan-Poles.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Shaw is just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-ben-johnson-strong-caleb-williams-endorsement-chicago-hc-interview">among the latest names the Bears have added to their list of coaching candidates</a> via interview requests, including the likes of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and even Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.</p><p>The Bears are looking for a new, full-time head coach after they let go of Matt Eberflus following a 23-20 road loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 13 — Chicago’s first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history. Thomas Brown acted as the Bears’ interim head coach since then, but Chicago went just 1-4 the rest of the way. Overall in the 2024 NFL regular season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-emotional-thomas-brown-gesture-historic-packers-win">Bears went just 5-12 and lost 10 games in a row until a 24-22 win at Lambeau Field</a> over the Green Bay Packers in Week 18.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bears request to interview ex-Stanford coach for HC vacancy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-caleb-williams-protector-uncertain-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bears’ Caleb Williams protector uncertain on future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Caleb-Williams-protector-uncertain-on-Chicago-future.jpg"></figure><h1>Bears’ Caleb Williams protector uncertain on future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-06T16:13:42-08:00">January 6th, 4:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-06T16:14:11-08:00">January 6th, 4:14pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, offensive lineman Teven Jenkins has had a rollercoaster of a career while with the Chicago Bears. When he plays, he’s an incredibly talented and physical lineman. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-offensive-line-takes-hit-patriots">he isn’t always on the field</a>, causing reason for concern with free agency on the horizon. When asked about his thoughts, Caleb Williams’ protector was <a href="https://x.com/BearsMarquee/status/1876358026992517351" rel="noopener">uncertain about his future</a>, per Marquee Bears on X.</p><p>When asked if he was ready to enter the open market in free agency, Jenkins didn’t hesitate, saying he was mentally prepared to do so.</p><p>Furthering the discussion, a reporter asked what Jenkins preferred, staying in Chicago or going elsewhere.</p><p>“Toss-up,” Jenkins said, not wasting words in his response.</p><p>With Jenkins keeping things relatively short when discussing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-bears-not-expected-re-sign-caleb-williams-protector">his future with the Bears</a>, he got asked to name the pros and cons of staying in Chicago, where his NFL career began.</p><p>“You know, drafted here, of course,” Jenkins said. “Been through a lot of things here. My daughter was born here. There’s a lot of things, like, I have a house here. I have everything, you know, it’s a little like a homestay for me, wanting to stay. The opposite side of that, I get a fresh start, get a new narrative. See if I can be who I want to be, and see where I can go from there.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Teven Jenkins said it’s a ‘toss up’, and that it’s 50/50 on whether he’d like to stay with the Bears or not. <a href="https://t.co/saqTP2vdp3">pic.twitter.com/saqTP2vdp3</a></p><p>— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BearsMarquee/status/1876358026992517351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So, while his time with the Bears has left him uncertain, there’s a strong possibility Ryan Poles and Chicago’s upper management think similarly.</p><h2><b>Bears OL Teven Jenkins’ health major concern regarding new contract, free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Teven-Jenkins.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Casey-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Since being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-best-moves-by-the-chicago-bears-in-2021-nfl-draft">drafted in 2021</a>, Jenkins could’ve started in 68 total games. Of those 68, he started in just 38.</p><p>That’s hardly more than 50% of games.</p><p>Now, in 2024, Jenkins hit a <a href="https://x.com/BradBiggs/status/1876335926420639799" rel="noopener">career-high in snaps</a>, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune on X.</p><p>“#Bears LG Teven Jenkins played a career-high 738 snaps this season,” Biggs wrote. “That represented less than 65% of the team’s offensive plays.”</p><p>So, through four seasons, Jenkins played nearly 65% of offensive snaps in 2024, setting a career-high.</p><p>Now, injuries aren’t something a player can control. If they get hurt, that’s not their fault.</p><p>However, in a business where millions of dollars are spent on players to play, it defeats the purpose if they’re unavailable.</p><p>As the cliché goes, the best ability is availability, which Jenkins hasn’t been able to provide over the past four seasons.</p><p>With that, the Bears run the risk of letting Jenkins walk in free agency, leaving themselves with an even bigger hole on an offensive line already full of them.</p><p>And after Williams led the league in sacks throughout the 2024 season, obtaining reliable offensive linemen is a necessity for the Bears moving forward.</p><p>If Jenkins agreed to an incentive-based contract emphasizing availability, that could be the best route for both parties.</p><p>Assuming he stays healthy in 2025— which is a bold assumption— Jenkins gets paid, while the Bears don’t have to risk paying him millions to not play.</p><p>However, with Jenkins eying the possibility of a fresh start elsewhere, a team could be desperate enough to pay him without loading his contract with incentives.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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