For the second consecutive day, the Chicago Bears sent out a request to a team that made the playoffs for permission to speak with an assistant coach regarding the vacant defensive coordinator position.
On Wednesday, it was Los Angeles Rams assistant Aubrey Pleasant. One day later, Chicago’s football team has reportedly put out a request to interview Daronte Jones of the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the scoop:
I still believe that Dennis Allen will be landing the defensive coordinator job because I think this team values having an assistant with head coach experience on Ben Johnson’s maiden voyage as a head coach. However, that does not mean that the Bears shouldn’t still kick the tires on other possible candidates. And that Daronte Jones has ties to the Minnesota Vikings makes this interview request all the more interesting. There is nothing wrong with getting a little intel on the opposition while simultaneously interviewing for the defensive coordinator position.
Who is Daronte Jones and why are the Bears talking with him?
Daronte Jones currently serves as the Vikings’ defensive pass game coordinator. It is a position he has been in since the start of the 2023 season. This is Jones’ second stint with Minnesota, with the first coming in 2020. Here is a brief look at Jones’ recent work history:
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Defensive pass game coordinator (2023-present), Defensive backs coach (2020, 2022)
- LSU: Defensive coordinator (2021)
- CINCINNATI BENGALS: Cornerbacks coach (2018-19)
- MIAMI DOLPHINS: Assistant defensive backs coach (2016-17)
There are some interesting connections worth pointing out here while browsing Jones’ most recent stops. For starters, Jones worked alongside Chicago’s new head coach (Ben Johnson) while with the Dolphins. Johnson was Miami’s assistant wide receivers coach when Jones was the team’s assistant defensive backs coach. Also notable is the connection with Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores. Flores’ ties to Chicago GM Ryan Poles have been discussed in this space so often that I feel that I do not need to go down that rabbit hole anymore.
In addition to Brian Flores, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport also mentions Daronte Jones’ connections to other standout defensive coaches such as Vance Joseph and Marvin Lewis. Perhaps the Bears see value in the coaching pedigree that follows those particular coordinators. In any case, it is certainly another interesting candidate on the Bears’ list.
I’m not sure if either Jones or Pleasant will land in Chicago as the team’s next defensive coordinator. HOWEVER, it would not surprise me if one of these candidates ends up with the Bears in a different coaching role. That might be something worth keeping an eye on as we move along in this process.