While the Bears are seemingly steadfast in keeping Matt Eberflus as their head coach, no one would blame them if they moved off the 6-21 leader of the Bears.
If they did, who would be out there in the open market? Who could the Bears look to next?
The way the New England Patriots season is going, it appears head coach Bill Belichick could be on the move. Is there a shot the Bears could land one of the great NFL minds in its history? NBC's Peter King says it's a longshot, but an option for the venerable head coach.
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"I think, just to throw it out there, here are my best Bill Belichick-on-the-free-market options, if indeed, Robert Kraft “parts ways” with Belichick (2-8 this year, 27-34 post-Brady) after the season:
"d. Chicago. Makes no sense if ownership and Ryan Poles believe they want to get the quarterback and offense right to commit to Belichick, 72 next year. So this one seems a long shot."
Before the Bears, King listed the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers as the options that make more sense for Belichick. This is all speculation, of course.
There's a world where Belichick doesn't move to a new team, and maybe even retires. But it's intriguing to know who's out there --- or, in this case, could be out there --- in the open market. Eberflus has struggled to improve the Bears in all facets; most importantly, he and the Bears haven't succeeded in developing Fields into a next-level quarterback.
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Bears fans have attached coaching names to the team since things started going downhill for the team this season. Another name pinned to the team is Jim Harbaugh, whose recent sign-stealing scandal and suspension created speculation about his interest in re-joining the NFL coaching sphere.
One ESPN analyst suggested his presence back on his native playing team makes perfect sense.
"He is d--- good at his job which is coaching football and then resurrecting programs. Why would we think he couldn't get the Chicago Bears turned around?" ESPN analyst and former NFL player Chris Canty said on Get Up!
Both Belichick and Harbaugh are seemingly long shots. Ryan Poles offered his undivided support for Eberflus in early November, so it doesn't appear the Bears are keen on moving off of him.
But, as the Chicago Cubs did to David Ross, moving off a manager they were satisfied with for a better one in Craig Counsell, should we put it past the Bears to do the same? When was the last time the Bears hit the nail on the head with a head coach?
Belichick and Harbaugh are no-brainer, guarantees as head coaches. But there are several questions to be answered before discussing this as a possibility.
Does either Belichick or Harbaugh have a legitimate interest in leaving their respective teams? And, of course, would the Bears have the gall to pursue them just 1.5 or 2 seasons after hiring a new coach?
As King said, it's a long shot. But we have to think of the possibilities --- ones that may exist imminently, too.