Twisting: Ryan Poles and Bears May be Making Mistake With Latest Head Coach Candidates

The Chicago Bears are expected to keep general manager Ryan Poles on staff in 2025 and will allow him to help spearhead the search for the team’s next head coach.

Poles and Bears’ team president Kevin Warren will be in charge of one of the most important hires in team history after making the decision to part ways with former head coach Matt Eberflus.

Friday’s stunning decision was a historic one for the storied franchise, who until that point, have never fired a head coach mid-season.

With five games to go, the Bears promoted interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to be the acting head coach for the remainder of the season. Those five games will essentially be a trial run for Brown, who will be in consideration for the full time position as the team’s next head coach.

However, according to multiple sources via CBS Sports, Poles and the searching committee already have a vision in mind for the qualities they are looking for in the next hire, and it’s not what you’d hope to hear.

The Bears are hoping to land a “leader of men” style of head coach with their next hire, similar qualities that described the decision to hire and retain Eberflus. Which means the Bears aren’t specifically looking for a top defensive mind or a top offensive mind to lead the team and better connect with rookie franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.

More specifically, the team is looking for a candidate who is “battle tested” and “mentally strong” to lead the team in Chicago as one source told CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Jones later in his report listed a few speculated options who could fill those leadership traits Poles and Warren might be searching for. Those options were former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and one surprise in Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

There’s a common trend in all of those names that should make fans raise an eyebrow. All of those options listed are respected head coaches who will bring a big personality, and none of them would be offensive-minded head coaches.

That means, unless Thomas Brown sticks around on the staff returning to his role as offensive coordinator, Williams and the Bears’ offense would have a third offensive mind in two seasons. And would be in position to potentially lose that coach each year if the offense continues to shine during future seasons.

With a young franchise quarterback, ideally you’d like to pair him with an offensive-minded coach would won’t leave that your young quarterback can grow with. Look at the Green Bay Packers with Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love or the Miami Dolphins with Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa for example.

But, on the flip side, adding a proven leader of men type of coach could still be a better decision when you think of similar coaches around the league such as Dan Campbell, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, and even Jim Harbaugh, who all immediately changed the culture of their respective organizations.

Last season, the Bears passed on the option to bring Jim Harbaugh back into the league out of Michigan in favor of keeping Eberflus. As a result, the Los Angeles Chargers with quarterback Justin Herbert lured him back into the league, and now the team currently sits with 7-4 record entering Week 13.

Watching a coach like that slip your fingers and create a successful environment elsewhere in the league has to sting and might be the reason the Bears’ search party is looking for a similar style coach to lead their team in Chicago. We’ll soon see who that candidate will be.