Bears make huge coaching search decision

The Chicago Bears made no bones about who’s in charge of finding their next head coach. Team President Kevin Warren confirmed on Monday that incumbent general manager Ryan Poles will help lead the search.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrapped up what Warren said at a press conference in Chicago on Monday morning.

“GM Ryan Poles is staying and will run the search with Warren,” Rapoport said on X.

Notes from #Bears President Kevin Warren today:
— GM Ryan Poles is staying and will run the search with Warren.
— “This will be the most coveted job in the National Football League this year.”
— Asked who will have final say, Warren said Poles will, but added that they’ll do…

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 2, 2024

Warren indicated that Poles will have the final say in things, but Warren also implied the two may work together in conjunction for the team’s “best interests” if it arrives there.

The Bears have gone through a maddening stretch over the last few years. In 2017, they drafted Mitchell Trubisky under a lame-duck head coach in John Fox. Four years later, they drafted Justin Fields under a lame-duck head coach in Matt Nagy. And then this season, they drafted Caleb Williams, also under a lame-duck head coach in Matt Eberflus. But Eberflus didn’t even make it to the end of the season like Fox and Nagy did.

After a stretch of dispiriting defeats, Chicago cut bait with Eberflus on Friday. The last straw appeared to be the Bears’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. They, once again, appeared hamstrung because of terrible coaching decisions.

Now, the Bears hope to not make the same mistakes again… even after making the same mistakes again, twice no less. Williams’ development and standing as a quarterback likely depends on the next man who take the job.

So, in other words, Chicago better get it right this time.

[Ian Rapoport]