Back when it was first reported the Chicago Bears were interested in former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, a good portion of the fan base immediately rolled their eyes.
Many Bears fans want a fresh face, specifically one who will be able to fully develop quarterback Caleb Williams. Now, whether that's an offensive mind or someone who is capable of hiring the right offensive coordinator remains to be seen.
But, someone like Carroll wouldn't exactly be a favorite among fans. Carroll was, indeed, a great coach. But, he is getting older. Has the game passed him by? Is there any belief that the man who was responsible for hiring the likes of Shane Waldron could get the coordinator right with Williams under center?
It's a scary proposition, to say the least. Carroll isn't at the top of fans' wish lists. We'll just put it that way.
But, the Bears still sat down with him in reference to their head coaching vacancy. That, in and of itself, can be a bit worrisome for fans who don't want to see him get the job.
Chicago isn't the only team giving Carroll a look, though. ESPN's Adam Schefter posted the news of another organization lining up an interview with the former Seahawks coach.
The Raiders are also interested in Pete Carroll as their next head coach
"Former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll, who met Thursday with the Chicago Bears about their vacancy, will interview next week for the Raiders’ head coaching job, per source," Schefter reported.
This is welcomed news for Bears fans who want to see Carroll end up elsewhere. Leave it to Mark Davis, who absolutely hates losing, to simply look at a former Super Bowl winner like Carroll and ultimately bring him in.
The irony of Tom Brady being a minority owner in Vegas and having beaten Carroll's Seahawks in a Super Bowl is also pretty hilarious.
Back to the Bears, though. In all likelihood, bringing Carroll in was probably more to just pick his brain. My hunch is that he's not going to be in serious consideration for the job, but that the Bears just wanted to get additional ideas and theories from an experienced mind.
For fans who want to see one of the top candidates land this job, there is still plenty of hope. At the moment, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel are the leaders in the clubhouse, as they should be.
And, as of this week, it appears as though some of the major worries over Chicago's front office, Ryan Poles, and George McCaskey are not reasons why a candidate would turn down this job. That, above any other news, offers fans the largest amount of hope.
It's still Johnson, Vrabel or bust, for many fans. And, the two of them are still very real possibilities over someone like Carroll.