NEWSLETTER
What, you didn’t think they’d all be offensive-minded coaching candidates, did you?
Sometime in the near future, the Chicago Bears will interview Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards. This will be Edwards’ first interview for a head coaching gig, but his inclusion on the NFL Career Development Advisory’s list of recommended coaching candidates, as well as the Fritz Pollard Alliance’s list suggests it won’t be his last.
And in case you already forgot, the Bears already have an interview scheduled with Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur for Friday, so it’s possible GM Ryan Pace could meet with both coordinators in the same trip.
And why not? Interviewing the leaders of the offense that ranked 10th in points and 11th in yards, as well as the defense that allowed the fewest yards and points who happen to reside in your own division makes a ton of sense. Even if Chicago doesn’t hire Edwards or Shurmur, the front office should come away from the meetings wiser than before with more information about what makes those two units click.
The Vikings’ defense has ranked 11th, fifth, sixth, and first in Edwards’ four seasons in charge. So it’s not as if Minnesota’s defensive dominance is a one-year wonder. Edwards turns 51 on January 16 and previously served as a defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2010-11) and Washington Redskins (2003). He also has experience coaching linebackers during stints with the Dallas Cowboys (1998-2001), Cleveland Browns (2004), and Miami Dolphins (2005-09, 2012-13).
Still, Edwards and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks are outliers on the initial list of coaching candidates the Bears have been tied to. The other four candidates (Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, Eagles QBs Coach John DeFilippo, and Shurmur) all coach offense.
