The Chicago Bears need another new head coach after the Matt Eberflus firing, preferably one that can help take standout rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to the next level. Interim head coach Thomas Brown will get the first shot due to his past success with No. 18
If Brown isn't named the permanent man in charge, it seems likely that Chicago will target a head coach with an offensive background. If they decide to zig when everyone wants them to zag, their search could lead them to former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll, who has been serving as an advisor with the Seahawks after being replaced as head coach, still has the itch to get one more Super Bowl ring on his hand despite the fact he will be 74 years old in September.
NFL insider Yogi Roth, who is close to the Carroll family, claims that the Super Bowl champion wants to coach again. Roth even had a playful dig about the weather in Chicago, implying that Carroll could consider the Bears if they approach him with enough genuine interest in the job. This would be a huge mistake for all involved.
Bears should stay away from hiring Pete Carroll as next head coach
Carroll brings a pedigree with him that almost no one else on the market can match. After ill-fated stints with the Jets and Patriots, Carroll won consecutive national titles at USC before winning 137 games in charge of the Seahawks. Carroll has a ring and was one yard short of a second.
The problems with Carroll, even if you overlook his age, are there. Despite coaching some of the best rosters in the league, Carroll won just one playoff game after the 2016 season. Carroll is also a defensive coach, which may not be the best idea for getting the most out of Williams.
Many quality offensive coaches, including Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, will be eyeing the Bears' job due to the promise of working with Williams and their collection of weapons. Hiring Carroll would be bad for Williams and therefore, bad for the Bears as a whole.
Carroll could have been a solid coach for Williams a few years ago, but the game seems to have passed him by. The best course of action is to chase someone like Johnson, not get nostalgic about the past by bringing back Carroll.