Chicago Bears: 5 head coaching candidates

It would be a major shock if John Fox is still with Bears on Monday. If he’s fired, here are five possible head coach replacements next season.

We knew this was going to be a rebuilding year for the Chicago Bears and it’s been exactly that. No matter the outcome of Week 17’s matchup against the Vikings, it will mark four straight losing seasons for the Bears. Three of those losing seasons have come under head coach John Fox.

With Black Monday approaching after the final slate of games this weekend, head coaches are going to be fired. We’ve already seen the Jets, Redskins, and Buccaneers stick with their guys for now but there will be plenty of other coaches on their way out the door. John Fox will be one of those coaches and it’s the end to a disappointing tenure in the Windy City. After years of success and a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos, Fox has just 14 wins in three years and has brought nothing but disappointments to a historic franchise.

It’s time for the Bears to move on and when they do, here are five head coach replacements next season.

5. Jon Gruden

He’s spent the last nine years in the broadcast booth but Jon Gruden could be making his return to the football field this offseason. Gruden was heavily rumored to his former team but that’s out of the question for now with Dirk Koetter’s job safe. He’ll have plenty of options vying for his services and the Bears should absolutely be one of those teams. Gruden could bring back life to a franchise that desperately needs it.

Gruden has only had two head-coaching gigs in his career andhs most notable one came with the Buccaneers from 2002-2008. During that tenure, Gruden led the Bucs to a 100-85 record including a Super Bowl title in his first season. That kind of hardware is going to earn you money and a respect in the coaching world. Since joining the media world, Gruden has stayed heavily involved in football, including his annual coaching camp every year. The top quarterback prospects watch film and work with Gruden ahead of the NFL draft. He’s a well-liked and well-respected football figure in the NFL community.

If Gruden came to Chicago, he’d be inheriting a young quarterback talent who he worked with just last season. Mitchell Trubisky finally has close to a full season of NFL experience under his belt. His numbers haven’t jumped off the charts but Trubisky has had limited help around him aside from Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen out of the backfield. That will change with a plethora of receivers returning off injured reserve.

This is a team Gruden could mold if he was given the chance and it would be a huge excitement to the city of Chicago.