Bear Digest

Longshot best describes latest Bears candidates to interview

Adam Stenavich and Brian Flores both no doubt had challenges to overcome and convincing to do if they hoped to secure a finalist spot for Bears head coach.
Gene Chamberlain|
Adam Stenavich overlooks the Packers defense at practice. Stenavich interviewed Saturday with the Bears.
Adam Stenavich overlooks the Packers defense at practice. Stenavich interviewed Saturday with the Bears. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The Bears completed interviews Saturday with two of the candidate who seemed to generate the least amount of enthusiasm among fans, on social media anyway.

There seems to be more to this ambivalence than the fact both are affiliated with divisional rivals.

One was Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the other Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.

Perhaps the bigger problem is neither is an offensive play caller but Stenavich, at least, is on the offensive side and is held in high regard by Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who says he might turn plays over at any time to his former offensive line coach.

"What's been so impressive about him is when he became our coordinator, the investment he made in the passing game and the amount of time he's put in in learning the passing game," LaFleur told Green Bay reporters prior to the Packers' playoff loss to the Eagles. "So I think he is fully capable.

"I would have no reservations or hesitation–he might as well be calling it on game day. I feel that confident in him, in his ability, and he pretty much does."

LaFleur said he relies on Stenavich in the running game to a great extent.

"I'm always asking him. 'Hey, what runs you like?' "

Stenavich knows how to get a run game going. He was the running game coordinator in 2021 before being put in as offensive coordinator without play-calling duties, much like the Bears had when Matt Nagy was calling plays.

The Packers have been 15th twice and fifth this year in rushing during Stenavich's time as offensive coordinator. They took a big step forward with running back Josh Jacobs replacing Aaron Jones this season.

Obviously the issue is insufficient passing game inexperience, and no play-calling experience.

Stenavich also has one other obstacle to overcome and that's the history in Chicago. They imported former Packers QB coach Luke Getsy as an offensive coordinator and it didn't work, but it did work better than it did for Shane Waldron.

With Flores, the offense would be an issue, and he also has the much-publicized baggage working against him in the form of the way former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa described their relationship or lack thereof.

"Well, to put it in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you, 'You suck at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this,' right?' " Tagovailoa had said on the Dan Lebatard Show. "And then you have somebody else (Mike McCarthy) come in and tell you, 'Dude, you are the best fit for this. Like, you are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that,' like how would it make you feel listening to one or the other? You see what I'm saying?"

No doubt the Bears inquired about this whole thing but Flores did address it himself back during training camp.

"Part of coaching is correcting," Flores said. "I'm always going to correct. I'm always going to have a high standard. I've done a lot of reflecting on the situation, communication. I think there's things that I could do better, for sure, and I've grown in that way.

"I've tried to apply the things I could do better and the things I've learned over the last two, three years. I would say over the long haul, I've had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career in the league. But I'm also always looking to get better and evolve."

Later former Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick backed up what Tagovailoa had said, calling him "... broken from Brian Flores, the way that he treated him."

Flores would no doubt require strong assistance from an offensive coordinator. He also had problems in this regard in Miami with four offensive coordinators in three years.

However, there is one other change such a hire would make. While Flores' blitzing defensive tactics produce results, he uses a 3-4 defense.

The Bears' defensive roster has been built for a 4-3 with different size-speed types at different positions. While some of them could switch without a problem, a move of this type would no doubt require a big chunk of salary cap space and the draft class to fit personnel with scheme.

There are no announced interviews for next week but still potential candidates to come, such as Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

The List

Interviewed

Thomas Brown, Bears interim coach

Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator

Mike Vrabel, HIRED AS PATRIOTS COACH

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks coach

Adam Stenavich, Packers offensive coordinator

Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator

Mike McCarthy, former Cowboys/Packers coach

Ron Rivera, former Commanders/Panthers coach

Joe Brady, Bills offensive coordinator

Todd Monken, Ravens offensive coordinator

Drew Petzing, Cardinals offensive coordinator

Mike Kafka, Giants offensive coordinator

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins defensive coordinator

Aaron Glenn, Lions defensive coordinator

David Shaw, Broncos executive

Arthur Smith, Steelers offensive coordinator

Other possible interviews

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders offensive coordinator

Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach

Interest Reported

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame coach

More Chicago Bears News

Published | Modified
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.