The Bears' coaching search hasn't really started yet, per se, but since when has that ever stopped anyone from talking about it? It's been the Ben Johnson show for most of the last six months in Chicago, as the two sides have been flirting in the most unsubtle way since Matt Eberflus was let go after Thanksgiving.
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And if they can't convince Johnson to leave arguably the best gig in the NFL right now for a dysfunctional, in-division rival with no modern history of winning, at least there are other interesting options? Right? Tell me there are other interesting options. Thank you.
One of those interesting options is Mike Vrabel. No one's seriously put him with the Bears because it's always felt like he was destined to go relive his glory days in New England, but it sounds like that may not be as sure a bet as we thought? When doing his weekly hit with local Chicago sports radio station ESPN1000, Albert Breer "reported" an interesting little nugget: that Vrabel is very seriously considering the Bears opening.
Mike Vrabel is reportedly "keeping an open mind" about the Bears' opening
Albert Breer just told us on @ESPN1000 that he believes Mike Vrabel will keep an open mind when he comes to Chicago to interview with the Bears. "He is a perfect fit for that city. If I was the GM that is who I would hire. He would change the face of that organization."
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) January 7, 2025
Breer is obviously well connected, but it's at least a little funny how openly transparent this report is. Those three sentences came *straight* from the mouth of Vrabel's agent. Who else talks like that? Why would he be a perfect fit for Chicago? Why would he change the face of that organization? He had a mildly-successful half-decade run as the Titans head coach – he'd be an obvious improvement over Eberflus/everyone else over the last decade, but the idea that he's some transformational figure in the league is peak Agent Speak.
Then again, it never hurts to hear that someone is genuinely interested in working for the McCaskey family. That's a rarity these days, so if Vrabel actively wants to come coach in Chicago, who am I to get in his way? Come be a leader of men in the place where that's valued more than literally anything else on the entire planet, Mike. You'll have at least three years of runway to not do any meaningful winning before your bosses even realize. Maybe it's not such a bad gig after all.