Why the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator job will be unattractive

Lost in the Chicago Bears firing Luke Getsy is that they already are dealing with the loss of their defensive coordinator Alan Williams. That feels like a couple of seasons ago, and the defense has been better with Matt Eberflus as the playcaller, so the need does not feel as pressing. Still, they are going to need to fill the role, as they did not name anyone in the interim; they just hired Phil Snow to be a Senior Assistant. 

The Chicago Bears will not find the best defensive coordinator candidate

The Bears will be picking from a limited pool of candidates for this job, mainly because of Matt Eberflus. Eberflus said that while he is not attached to calling the plays, he would like to. That is not what any candidate wants to hear. First, it likely means that the job does not come with play calling. Most candidates from the outside would come in with the hope of using this job to improve their resume. Joining a group and not having the playcalling does not help. 

Second, it means that at any drop of the hat, he may take back play-calling if he does give it to you. You have to work within his structure and everything he built last year. It will be tough to step in when the playcaller from the past season is watching over you. 

Even worse, the Chicago Bears are not making any changes to their defensive staff. That is not an awful thing because the group got better as the year went on. Still, it does mean that whoever gets hired as a defensive coordinator will have no say in the coaching staff around him, nor will they have a say in whether they will call plays. 

This is not going to be the most desired job, and the top candidates will have more say on who they can bring with them and who will stay on the staff. Most defensive coordinators come with play-calling. All of the jobs with an offensive coach will come with full control over the defense. This job will feel like a coordinator role in title only. 

The Bears may promote from within or find someone who just wants a shot at one of the 32 jobs in the world. Still, it will not be the job that the top candidates circle first and will be a fallback for most.