The start of the Chicago Bears' offseason is here with the focus shifting to the Bears' search for a new head coach.
Until proven otherwise, it seems that Ryan Poles will be the one leading the Bears' head coach search. Despite a case being able to be made that Poles should be fired as general manager of the Bears, it seems like the organization is giving him an opportunity to fix the mistake he made last offseason when he brought back Matt Eberflus for a third season.
The issue with that idea is Poles' shaky ground may be impeding the search. Reports last week were that Ben Johnson is seeking alignment with his general manager, pointing him in the direction of the Jacksonville Jaguars' opening instead of the Bears.
The known candidates for the Bears' opening include Johnson, Tomas Brown, Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Vrabel, Brian Flores, Anthony Weaver, Aaron Glenn, and Pete Carroll. Outside of Johnson and Kingsbury, that isn't a compelling list of candidates for a Bears' team looking for a head coach who would accelerate the development of Caleb Williams.
The latest candidate added to the list won't bring much encouragement either. The Athletic's Michael Silver reports that the Bears have expressed interest in Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The Jets and Bears have expressed interest in Broncos DC Vance Joseph for their head coaching openings, according to sources familiar with the searches @TheAthletic @TheAthleticNFL
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 6, 2025
Joseph had a two-year run as the Broncos' head coach in 2017 and 2018, finishing with a record of 11-21. As was the case with Anthony Weaver, the idea of Joseph becoming the next Bears' head coach doesn't seem to hold much merit. Short of the Bears hiring Brian Flores of Aaron Glenn, it doesn't add up for the team to be seeking a defensive-minded head coach. Especially someone like Joseph, who failed in his first go-around as a head coach.
The Bears appear to be casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach, which is fine, but the hope is they aren't wasting valuable time by interviewing candidates like Joseph.