Chris Ballard could possibly be making a return to the Bears organization as the new general manager.
After the Chicago Bears fired general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman on Black Monday, Chris Ballard was immediately linked to the opening general manager position.
Chris Ballard was a person that jumped out as a possible candidate right away due to the fact that he spent 12 years with the organization. From 2001 to 2011, he was a southwest area scout for the Bears before being promoted to director of pro scouting in 2012. He only spent one year under his new promotion before he signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs the following year as director of player personnel.
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Now, just two years after leaving the organization, he is linked with a return to Bears organization in a significantly bigger role.
It seems like the Bears are starting to make a habit of hiring former Chiefs personnel. Recently fired general manager Phil Emery also came from the Chiefs organization when the Bears hired him back in 2012. However, he was also a part of the Bears organization back in the late 90s/early 2000s, so the fad could very well be bringing back personnel that were once a part of the organization.
The Chiefs have given the Bears permission to interview Ballard for the opening general manager position. That seems to indicate that Ballard is interested in taking the position. Last year, the Chiefs denied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers permission to interview Ballard when they were looking to fill their general manager position. In that instance the Chiefs denied Tampa Bay permission at Ballard’s request, making Ballard’s consent to meet with the Bears all the more significant. It seems crazy that he would not even want to interview for a general manager position though, at least for the experience, but perhaps he felt he wasn’t ready or it just was not the right fit for him.
That does not seem to be the case in this instane for Ballard, as he will interview for the Bears general manager position sometime this Friday or Saturday.
Of course, he will have some competition for the opening position. It is being reported that New York Giants director of player evaluation Marc Ross, Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Vince Newsome and Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Lake Dawson are also candidates for the Bears general manager position.
It’s the end of a short lived era in Chicago. Emery only lasted three years as general manager and head coach Marc Trestman only lasted two. Now the organization will regroup and head in a new direction. What will be interesting to see is what happens to quarterback Jay Cutler. Many are saying that he will be moved, but it won’t be that easy with the hefty contract he holds. Whoever is hired as general manager, he will have a tough decision to make right away about their quarterback situation.
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