Who will be the next head coach in Chicago?
That's the pressing question after the Bears did the once unthinkable and fired Matt Eberflus midseason on Friday, around 24 hours removed from their loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving, punctuated by the then-coach's indecision on Chicago's final play from scrimmage.
For their final five games of the 2024 season, the Bears (4-8) will move forward with interim coach Thomas Brown, who was elevated again Friday just three weeks after being promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator following Shane Waldron's axing.
But what about 2025 and beyond?
Brown is expected to get a look in Chicago's upcoming head coach search, 撸先生AV Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on 撸先生AV GameDay Morning, as will the usual suspects this cycle (Lions OC Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Bills OC Joe Brady, former Titans coach and current Browns consultant Mike Vrabel).
Also among the top candidates for the gig, per Rapoport, is a familiar face to Caleb Williams: Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury.
Kingsbury, the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, spent the 2023 season out of the 撸先生AV but on the sidelines as a senior offensive analyst at USC where Williams was playing his second and final season with the Trojans.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner enjoyed a solid '23 campaign with the help of Kingsbury; his completion percentage jumped two points to 68.6 from his historic 2022 season. Williams also threw 12 fewer touchdowns than in '22 and USC was non-competitive at 8-5. Still, the QB's showing was strong enough to merit his selection by the Bears at No. 1 overall in the 2024 撸先生AV Draft.
Kingsbury parlayed his season in Southern California into a gig with Dan Quinn's Commanders. With Kingsbury, Quinn and No. 2 overall selection Jayden Daniels in tow, Washington saw major improvement early, jumping out to a 7-2 record behind the OC and the do-everything rookie QB. However, the Commanders are in the midst of a three-game skid, as the 撸先生AV catches up to Daniels and Kingsbury's offense deals with turnovers and a banged-up backfield.
As Cardinals coach, Kingsbury was paired with Kyler Murray -- like Williams, a No. 1 overall pick. Under their leadership, the Cardinals went 28-37-1 in four years, earning just one winning season and making one postseason appearance, a wild-card drubbing at the hands of the rival Rams. Kingsbury was fired following a 4-13 campaign in 2022.
If or when the Bears interview Kingsbury, it will not be the first time. Chicago talked to the ex-Cardinals coach when it was interviewing candidates for its OC position in the 2024 offseason. The Bears went instead with Waldron, who lasted half a season, while Washington added Kingsbury and reaped the benefits.
We'll see if the two sides are a better fit this time around, as Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Co. send out feelers in the coming weeks.
