There has been a whole lot of news to come out of the NFL this week, and for a change, the Chicago Bears have been on the positive side of said news.
While uncertainty and drama ensues within other organizations, the Bears' big hiring of Ben Johnson as their new head coach has given this city and fan base much hope. From the moment he began his opening presser, you could tell Johnson was a different breed.
Bears fans are in for a treat. Bears players are in for much higher standards. And, the organization as a whole, should be in for more winning.
Now, Johnson's first task as coach is to assemble his staff. In terms of an offensive coordinator, it's certainly possible he brings Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley with him to take on a bigger role. But, there are other candidates available.
Friday, the list of candidates grew by one, and that one is certainly an enticing name.
Early Friday afternoon, the Houston Texans made the decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Bobby Slowik is now available for the Bears to hire as offensive coordinator
Just a year ago, Slowik was a hot head coaching candidate for what he was able to do with C.J. Stroud as a rookie. He was even mentioned as a potential fit for the Bears, should they had decided to fire Matt Eberflus last offseason.
How about that? A staff featuring a pair of coaches Bears fans wanted just a year ago ... what a world.
Slowik's offense took off under Stroud in Houston, but this past season was a different story. Stroud seemed to take a step back. Injuries hit them hard on the offensive side of the ball.
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It wasn't the same, and because of that, the Texans let Slowik go. However, in order to get back on his feet and make every effort to becoming a head coach again someday, Slowik could opt for a gig like Chicago if the Bears were interested.
If Johnson is as good as everyone thinks he is, then what better place for Slowik to build himself back up as a candidate? In Chicago, Slowik wouldn't have to do a whole lot in terms of calling plays, since that's going to be Johnson's job.
But, learning from Johnson could benefit Slowik greatly. Should Johnson pan out like Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell or even Kyle Shanahan have, then teams are going to start poaching from his staff in similar fashion.
In a matter of one year, Slowik helped the Houston passing offense go from eighth-worst to the seventh-best in football. That's quite a jump, and the offense did it without a perceived no. 1 threat at wide receiver. Although, the Nico Collins breakout was real in 2023.
The Bears' offensive coordinator position almost immediately became the best OC job in the league if it weren't for Liam Coen leaving Tampa Bay. Slowik will have some options, and if Johnson is interested, Chicago would be a great landing spot.