Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
My how quickly things change in the NFL. One day, the top candidate for the Chicago Bears job was probably Todd Bowles. In Denver, on Sunday, your team is playing for the right to advance to the AFC Championship game. Now, John Fox is looking for work and the Bears have a new top candidate.
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In the wake of their loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Broncos and Fox agreed to part ways, setting the internet ablaze with rumors. As the dust settles, Fox appears to be emerging as the favorite for the Chicago Bears head coaching vacancy:
"Fox may have realized his best chance to win with Manning had come and gone, so he was looking to get out while the getting is good. Fox instantly emerged as a viable head coaching option elsewhere, with one NFL executive telling FOX Sports he believes Chicago is the frontrunner for his services."
Fox would be a great pairing with rookie GM Ryan Pace. An experienced head coach who can put a staff together and commands the locker room will help Pace focus on re-building the roster. Pace and Fox have a connection, sort of:
"It took less than six hours for Fox to emerge as a serious candidate in Chicago, though ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports “he is not locked in for the job.” Still, Fox checks a lot of boxes. The Bears want a veteran coach to pair with rookie GM Ryan Pace, and Pace’s old boss — Saints coach Sean Payton — is known to be Fox’s closest friend in football."
Fox is a solid, experienced head coach who’s put together winning programs wherever he’s gone. Sure, he’s padded his resume behind Peyton Manning’s efforts the last couple of seasons, but this guy won a playoff game in Denver with Tim Tebow as his quarterback. He’s proven to be adaptable and the last few seasons he’s put together the “hot coordinators” that everyone seems to be scrambling to get. The Bears, of course, interviewed Adam Gase while the Broncos were on a bye.
This seems like it’s too good to be true. The pieces just fit together too easily. It’s almost like when a Pro Bowl quarterback out of Denver suddenly became available.
What do you think about Fox? Would he be a good fit with Pace and the Bears? Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.