The Chicago Bears conducted interviews on Saturday for their head coaching position, talking to Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.
Brian Flores, 43, has been leading Minnesota’s defense for the past two seasons after serving as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for three years, where his record stood at 24-25 with no playoff appearances before he was let go.
In February 2022, Flores initiated a federal lawsuit against the NFL, the Dolphins, the New York Giants, and the Denver Broncos. As a Black coach, he alleged discriminatory hiring practices pertaining to leadership roles within the league.
Recently, Flores also interviewed with the New York Jets and was anticipated to meet with the Jacksonville Jaguars regarding their head coaching opening. Last season, the Vikings achieved a strong 14-3 record, finishing second in the NFC North, behind the Detroit Lions.
On the other hand, Adam Stenavich has just wrapped up his second season as offensive coordinator in Green Bay, working under Matt LaFleur. Before that, he spent three years coaching the Packers’ offensive line.
With quarterback Jordan Love leading the way, the Packers recorded the fifth-highest offensive yardage per game in the NFL and were eighth in scoring overall. Despite holding the youngest roster in the league for the second consecutive year, Green Bay finished third in the NFC North with a record of 11-6 but fell to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bears are currently searching for a replacement for Matt Eberflus, who was dismissed on November 29. Chicago ended the season at the bottom of the NFC North with a disappointing 5-12 record, experiencing a ten-game losing streak before ending the season on a high note with a victory against Green Bay.
The development of quarterback Caleb Williams is anticipated to be a key focus for the new coach after the team suffered through its fourth consecutive losing season. Williams, the first overall draft pick last year, threw for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions. However, he was sacked a league-high 68 times, which is also a franchise record.
Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 while at Southern California, was seen sitting courtside during a recent Wisconsin-USC men’s basketball game in Los Angeles with his right, throwing hand covered in a cast or wrap. The wrap extended from his lower knuckles to just below the wrist.
A source familiar with the matter indicated that Williams underwent a minor elective procedure, but spoke on condition of anonymity due to the absence of comments from both the team and Williams. General manager Ryan Poles did not mention Williams when discussing players expected to undergo surgery at his end-of-season press conference.
In addition to his medical surprise, Williams unveiled a buzzed haircut during the game.
The Bears have confirmed interviews with 16 candidates for the head coaching role. Notable names on the list include Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Pete Carroll, former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike McCarthy, who previously coached the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, and Mike Vrabel, who recently secured a role in New England.
Other interviewees include Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, interim coach Thomas Brown, former Carolina and Washington coach Ron Rivera, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, former Stanford coach David Shaw, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
