Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day’s Agent Denies Report Linking Them To Chicago Bears

The report called Day and his agent, former Bears defensive end Trace Armstrong, a possible package deal.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Dec 12, 2021 2:34 PM EST

Former Chicago Bears defensive end Trace Armstrong denied a report on Sunday morning that suggested he and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day are part of a possible package deal to join the franchise this offseason.

“I have the upmost respect for the Chicago Bears organization, the McCaskey family and (team president) Ted Phillips,” Armstrong said in a statement posted to Twitter. “However, any assertion that I have engaged in conversations with them about joining the club in any capacity is simply not true.”

According to a report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Armstrong – who played the Bears from 1989-94 and currently works as an agent for Day, LSU’s Brian Kelly, Penn State’s James Franklin and USC’s Lincoln Riley, among other coaches – has had discussions with the team about a front-office role and would considered bringing Day with him.

“(Armstrong) is a huge proponent of Ohio State coach Ryan Day, league sources said, and Day has been open to considering NFL possibilities in recent years,” La Canfora said.

Chicago selected former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, and Day’s name has been linked to the franchise ever since. Assuming the Bears – who are 4-8 this season – fire head coach Matt Nagy in the coming months, those rumors are only going to get louder.

Now in his third season as the Buckeyes’ head coach, Day is 33-4 since taking over for Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer after the 2018 season. That includes two Big Ten championships and a pair of appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Day was the highest-paid coach in the conference this year, but with Franklin and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker reviving lucrative contract extensions this fall, he’s in line for a bump in salary during the offseason. If he were to leave for another job, though, he would owe Ohio State a $3 million buyout plus damages.

As for this season, Ohio State is 10-2 and will take on Utah in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. on ESPN.

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