Day 13 of the Chicago Bears offseason. Yesterday, we got weird. Today, we get reflective. On this date in 2023, I began seeing a therapist. Two years into it and the decision remains one of the best things I have ever done for myself. If you’ve thought about it in the past, I’d strongly recommend taking the steps toward making that happen. And if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to answer them because mental health is part of our health.
- ICYMI: We discussed a new report that dropped this morning connecting the Bears and Mike Tomlin. The short version of a long story is that Chicago’s football team got Pittsburgh on the phone and inquired about possibly swinging a trade for the Steelers head coach. They were met with a swift “no” and have carried on with the search that is still ongoing today. My main takeaway from the team’s pursuit of Tomlin is that this feels like a sign that the Bears are willing to spend on a true coaching upgrade. You don’t ask about trading for Mike Tomlin if you’re not prepared to meet the financial demands that come with taking that type of swing.
- The Bears might get dunked on for their swing-and-a-miss in their pursuit of Mike Tomlin. But I see this as a sign that the team is willing to think outside of the box when it comes to its search for a new head coach. Maybe a new way of thinking will churn out a different result this time around
- One pundit predicts Brian Flores, who coached under Mike Tomlin in 2022, will get the Bears head coaching job. Words from ESPN’s Dan Graziano:
There are hurdles for Flores — who appears to be a strong candidate for the Jets job, as well — to clear before any team can hire him. That’s especially true in Chicago; there will be questions about his past relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Miami as the Bears evaluate him as a candidate to shepherd Caleb Williams’ development. But by all accounts, it sounds like Flores has made a very different impression on people in Minnesota than he did in Miami. He has been public about the reasons things went wrong for him with the Dolphins and what he has learned from that situation that would make things different at his next stop.
- Graziano also makes note of the connection between Flores and Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, who both went to Boston College. A part of me feels as if that connection has been overstated in conjunction with his Bears candidacy. Frankly, I feel as if the Poles-Flores connection is being boosted because it would be a tremendously bad sign if one of Flores’ old college chums wasn’t willing to go bat for him as a head coach candidate.
- More predictions? Sure, why not!? The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt pegs Pete Carroll as the candidate who with the Bears:
If the Bears are looking for a proven leader, there isnโt a better candidate than Carroll. โฆ Yes, Carroll is 73, but he is known for his youthful energy. He had a great run in Seattle, never winning fewer than seven games in a season, making the playoffs 10 times in 14 years and winning the Super Bowl in 2013.
The Bears will be tempted by Johnson and Kingsbury, but I think they ultimately land on the coach best suited to turn Chicago into a winner as soon as 2025.
- I’ll say this about the Rosenblatt prediction piece: There are some fun picks there, so it is worth a read on this Saturday while you’re killing time before football starts.
- Over the last 24 hours, the Bears have announced they have completed interviews with Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady, Baltimore Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, and Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores. With the interview of Flores, the Bears have now interviewed candidates with connections to the Detroit Lions (Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn), Green Bay Packers (Mike McCarthy), and Minnesota Vikings (Flores). Do with that information what you will…
- The Tennessee Titans announced the hiring of Mike Borgonzi as the team’s new GM. ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports it is a five-year deal for the Titans and Borgonzi, who will leave the Kansas City Chiefs after 16 years with the organization. Bears Assistant GM Ian Cunningham was a candidate for the job and interviewed in person this past week. But instead of Cunningham, it’ll be Borgonzi taking his talents to Tennessee. Cunningham has had multiple interviews with the Titans (in two different hiring cycles!), Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Chargers. He also reportedly turned down a chance to be the Arizona Cardinals’ GM. I’m starting to wonder if he’ll ever get to sit in the big chair.
- Chip Brown (247 Sports) shares that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers turned down an $8 million offer to transfer because the Longhorns were the only team he wanted to play for in his college career. I can respect that (even though I would’ve secured the bag). I’m not sure where Ewers lands as a draft prospect. But because the Bears aren’t in the market for a quarterback, it feels like it is none of my concern.
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