The Chicago Bears had been building a long list of potential General Manager candidates, but before the team could finish the first set of interviews with everyone, the team had already heard back from a candidate who decided to bow out.
Ed Dodds, the Indianapolis Colts Assistant GM told the Chicago Bears that he was backing out of their GM search. When he was initially requested to be interviewed, he was met with praise from fans and media. Dodds is looked at as one of the top scouts in the NFL, and there has been talk that he is waiting for the right job. Apparently, it is not Chicago.
There is plenty to discuss as to why Ed Dodds did not take the job, here are a few possible reasons.
Did Ed Dodd’s interview go well?
Perhaps Dodds was getting in front of the rejection by telling the Bears that he was not interested. It is not as farfetched as you think with some rumors mentioning that he is not a great interview.
The Athletic noted that he is a tough person who is keener on hard work than relationship building. Some have struggled to connect with the personality.
Does Ed Dodds have a job lined up elsewhere?
Another obvious reason for Dodds to drop out would be because he likes another situation better. A couple of GM jobs are open, and the Raiders job just became available. As noted, he is a highly regarded candidate, so he may have a pick of his favorite jobs. Does he see a better one?
On top of that, this is not the first time that Dodds has backed out of being a GM candidate. Plenty of rumors mention that Dodds may be waiting patiently for the perfect job, and he may not see any of them like that.
Does Ed Dodds not like Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields?
Dodds could see other jobs as more favorable and maybe was a poor interview. Some fans are speculating that like his co-worker Chris Ballard, he told Chicago things that they did not want to hear and lost his chance. However, Ballard told them to move Ted Phillips away from football and trade Jay Cutler.
The Bears listened to Ballard seven years later, so it is hard to think that Dodds would come in and be disappointed with a better setup. So, aside from franchise stability, the only other issue Dodds could have is the quarterback.
There were rumors that the Chicago Bears would listen to Justin Fields trades for the right price. Right after those rumors got bad pushback, Dodds dropped out of the GM race. Perhaps ownership realized that they cannot lose Fields for an executive and told Dodds to commit to Fields. That is when Dodds dropped out.
All three options are on the table and we will never know for sure.