Bear Digest

The big questions about where Bears interview process is headed

Analysis: It's been entirely clear who the Bears are talking to so far but the finalists and a few other potential first interviews take the entire hunt into a more murky stage.
Gene Chamberlain|
Kliff Kingbury's decision not be interviewed yet by anyone makes this Bear interview process seem incomplete.
Kliff Kingbury's decision not be interviewed yet by anyone makes this Bear interview process seem incomplete. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

As transparent as this Bears coach hiring process has been so far, it's entering what shapes up as the murky stage.

Already, there are rumors Detroit's Ben Johnson is lining up in-person interviews for this week.

If this makes Johnson a Bears finalist, it would seem the preliminary interview stage actually ended. But has it?

As with everything the Bears do, this interview process is all about advancing Caleb Williams. It's the candidate who they think can best harness Williams' abilities who should be the focus of their pursuits.

There will be those who believe the goal actually should be finding the coach who will finally win, but at this point winning does not come without Williams' development. It's intertwined.

This being the goal, how can the Bears stop the process without talking to the coach who has obviously brought a quarterback the longest way as a rookie this season, Kliff Kingsbury?

It is unknown whether Kingsbury even actually wants to be involved in the process as he has reported requests from the Bears and Saints to speak but he said they would need to wait until after the championship games end, or possibly after the Super Bow.

Rules prohibit in-person interviews with any coach still in the playoffs who they haven't spoken with virtually until after the Super Bowl or after their season ends. If they want to hire Joe Brady, they can talk to him in person Jan. 27-Feb. 2 because they have interviewed him virtually.

How can this process be labeled complete without a Kingsbury interview, unless he simply doesn't want to be interviewed by a team that wouldn't hire him as offensive coordinator last year?

The other question about this process is what their intent is with Marcus Freeman after Notre Dame faces Ohio State in Monday night's national title game. Or, actually, it might be what his intent is because it's questionable whether someone with a new contract and in a position to be dominant in college football would even want to move up to the next level of play with a franchise mired so long in mediocrity?

With the Raiders pursuing Johnson, Mike McCarthy still on the radar for New Orleans and the Bear forced to wait to talk to Marcus Freeman and Kliff Kingsbury if possible, the entire mix is one of final interviews and prelims jumbled together.

It could all quickly end with Johnson's hiring, but the number of suitors seems too large to make this seem likely until later in the week at the earliest.

Until now every person they've talked to, had interest in talking to, or even had interest in trading for has come out.

Yet, nothing is clear now in a search that's been transparent so far almost to a fault besides their interest in Johnson.

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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.