There’s just one game left to play for the Chicago Bears this season. After Sunday, we’ll hear a lot more about this franchise’s future as they put together a long list of head coaching candidates.
However, the Bears’ front office, led by president Kevin Warren and GM Ryan Poles, likely already has a few top candidates in mind. But once the season ends, the Bears can finally start requesting to interview some of the best coaching candidates on their list, which is likely to include a pair of coordinators from their NFC North rivals.
Related: Caleb Williams shoulders blame for woeful Chicago Bears offensive line play
Chicago Bears expected to take a ‘long look’ at hiring Brian Flores
We’ve heard all about how the Chicago Bears are likely to pursue Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. History suggests Johnson will be interested in coaching Caleb Williams too. However, the Bears won’t be the only team chasing after one of this year’s most sought-after candidates, which could throw a wrench into their plans.
Ideally, the Bears will find someone who can maximize the potential of their former No. 1 overall pick, but what if they can’t secure a top offensive mind? They could stick with their original plan of finding a “leader of men.”
If so, someone like Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores would certainly qualify, and unlike Johnson, he even has previous NFL head coaching experience thanks to his three-year tenure with the Miami Dolphins.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Coach Flores is expected to receive a “long look” from the Bears this offseason.
“He’s a Boston College teammate of GM Ryan Poles. He’s in Minnesota, where Kevin Warren worked for a decade and a half—and reviews have come back from the Minnesota Vikings to Warren raving about the job Flores has done. He’ll have to answer, of course, for what went wrong with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami, given that he’d have a young quarterback to raise in Chicago. But, yes, I’d expect the Bears to take a long look at Flores.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Chicago Bears
The NFL is all about connections, and Flores has plenty of them tying him to the Bears’ coaching vacancy. Not only that, his resume is pretty impressive, from leading the defense with the most takeaways to his respectable 24-25 record as a head coach, which included a 10-win season.
Would he be Chicago’s first choice to replace Matt Eberflus? Maybe not, but he has to be pretty high on their list.
Related: Top NFL insider reveals Chicago Bears’ key priority during coaching search