On Thursday afternoon, we were given somewhat of a bombshell update on the Chicago Bears and their head coaching search.
Courtesy of NFL insider Jordan Schultz appearing on Colin Cowherd's The Herd, we found out that the Bears' current coaching search is supposedly a "two-horse race" between Mike McCarthy and Ben Johnson.
The former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach is now a free agent and is going to get a job during this cycle, no doubt. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is maybe the hottest name among this year's candidates.
Along with Schultz saying this is now down to two top candidates, though, he also detailed how involved quarterback Caleb Williams is going to be (or has been) in this overall process.
"They're going to give him an offensive coach, I believe, but he's not going to have a say in the hiring," Schultz started.
For those wondering if Williams is going to have a big say in who the Bears will hire, that's not going to happen, according to Schultz.
"It's not like he's going to Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles saying 'give me Ben Johnson.' He's not going to influence the decision in that capacity," he said.
The Bears know what they have to do for Caleb Williams, despite some fans' worries
Some fans might like the idea of Williams having input, especially considering how the Bears have gotten so many coaching hires wrong in recent seasons. Even though Williams won't have a say, though, Schultz believes the Bears know exactly what they need to do:
"But they also recognize (the Bears do) that they have now had Matt Eberflus, Luke Getsy, Shane Waldron, all these coaches that have not connected to their players, especially this year with Caleb and Waldron. So they're desperately in need, in my opinion, of an offensive coach, an innovator that will help get Caleb from point A to point B."
Maybe this means all of the interviews and requests are, indeed, just part of the process and, in the end, the Bears have truly tried to prioritize the top candidates.
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Some fans might shudder at the thought of McCarthy, and even though he's struggled in recent postseasons, the experience does factor in. McCarthy's experience and ability to give quarterbacks what they need is going to come into the equation, like him or not.
Still, Schultz believes the Bears should be locked in on the other top candidate.
"If I'm the Bears, my number one choice should be Ben Johnson," he finished.
It's no exaggeration to say that, if the Bears do hire Johnson, this fan base would have more reason for hope than maybe any season in the last 20 years or so. The franchise quarterback is, indeed, established. And, the team would have a brilliant mind to help take the next steps.