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Chicago Bears Second Half Checklist

By Mike "Boomer" Burzawa

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Players practice on the field prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on September 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Players practice on the field prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on September 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 29: Head Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints shakes hands after the game with Head Coach John Fox of the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Bears 20-12. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 29: Head Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints shakes hands after the game with Head Coach John Fox of the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Bears 20-12. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

John Fox could be entering the final year of his contract in 2018.  It’s rare to let coaches get to the final year of their deal without an extension, especially for coaches who are on a seat that’s as hot as John Fox’s.  Is he the coach to get the Bears back to the promised land?  There are cases for and against.

Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears /

Chicago Bears

The case for keeping Foxy will be written throughout the rest of the 2017 season.  He’s gotten off to a rough start, guiding the Bears to a 9-23 record in his first two seasons.  That’s pretty brutal, especially for a head coach with a reputation of quick turnarounds.  Is the turnaround just a bit slower with the mess he was handed?

The defense is ascending and Fox is a defensive-minded head coach, so he gets at least a little bit of the credit.  If nothing else, he gets points for bringing Vic Fangio into the fold.  Here’s the problem – the centerpiece of your franchise is your rookie quarterback.

The Bears bet the farm when they drafted Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick in this past draft.  Can you keep a defensive-minded head coach at the wheel when the key to this franchise’s success is the development of Trubisky?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring in a quarterback whisperer like a Sean Payton or John Gruden to install an offense that Trubisky can learn and build upon year after year?  Do you want another revolving door of coordinators like when Lovie Smith couldn’t find the right OC to pair with his quarterbacks?

If the Bears want to draw free agents and top coordinators, they want to know there’s stability in the coaching staff.  If you fire Dowell Loggains, who wants to come work for Fox in the last year of his deal?  If Fox gets canned or doesn’t get renewed after 2018, it’s likely a new head coach would bring in a new staff.  That’s how you end up with a lower tier of assistants.

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