The Chicago Bears growing list of head coach candidates includes coordinators will be coaching during the NFL Wild Card Weekend this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Early on Monday morning, it was reported that the Bears had expressed interest in Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. While the report stopped short of saying the Bears have officially requested an interview, chances are they will have the request submitted by the time the Broncos play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
NFL rules prevent the any team from interviewing a coordinator who is on a team playing during Wild Card Weekend, meaning the the Bears will need to wait to interview Joseph until after the Broncos' playoff run concludes or the week after the conference championship games if Denver reaches the Super Bowl.
The same can said about the three latest candidates added to the Bears' head coach candidate list.
Bears requested head coaching interviews with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025
Vikings' defensive coordinator Brian Flores has long been considered to be one of the favorites for the Bears' opening in addition to Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Given the connection that Flores has to Poles through Boston College, there has been some speculation that the Bears' general manager may prefer the former Miami Dolphins' head coach.
Arthur Smith is a name that hasn't been previously connected to the Bears' opening. Smith's run as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach was rather forgettable as he went 7-10 in each of his three seasons with the team. While there is something to be said about the work he did with Justin Fields at the start of the Steelers' season, there isn't much else that makes Smith an intriguing candidate.
That same caveat does not apply for Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
The #Bears put in a request to interview #Ravens OC Todd Monken for their head coaching job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 6, 2025
Monken has spent the past two seasons as the Ravens' offensive coordinator. During that time, Monken has been credited for assisting the evolution of Lamar Jackson's passing game. Jackson was the 2023 NFL MVP and one of the favorites for the 2024 MVP award as well. Monken's ability to listen to Jackson's desire and catering an offense to that should have the Bears intrigued by what he could do with Caleb Williams.
To those questioning the length of the Bears' candidate list, note that the team is unable to have in-person interviews with any candidate until January 20. The fact is the Bears are not going to be making a head coach hire until they've interviewed a candidate in person. Since that can't happen until January 20, there is nothing wrong with the Bears compiling as many interviews as possible prior to then.