Bear Digest

The possible effect on Bears of a Raiders GM favorite surfacing

A reported favorite in the GM search has surfaced for the Raiders and it's questionable whether it actually benefits them in a quest to beat the Bears out for Ben Johnson as coach.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tom Brady in pregame at Soldier Field prior to November's Bears-Packers game.
Tom Brady in pregame at Soldier Field prior to November's Bears-Packers game. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Just when all the chips seemed to be stacking up against the Bears and a bid for Ben Johnson as head coach, the competition seems to be intent on revealing its hand ahead of time.

According to Las Vegas Raiders On SI's Hondo Carpenter and Carter Landis, Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek is being considered a frontrunner for the vacant GM job with the Raiders.

The link between Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady is obvious from Brady's Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. Spytek has been a part of that organization since 2016.

There is no real direct link from Spytek to Johnson as head coach, although an unidentified NFL executive told Las Vegas Raiders on SI that would be a "dream team" to have Spytek, Johnson and Brady together with the organization.

This seems to work in favor of the Bears because the Raiders had a built-in advantage when they had both the GM and coaching position vacant. They could always have hired Johnson and let him help pick the GM or at least taken his input on a lower scale.

Any coach would love that chance.

On a broader scale, the Raiders have plenty to offer to Johnson that the Bears do not. It's often suggested the Raiders are at a disadvantage because they need to come up with an answer at quarterback and the Bears have Caleb Williams.

Is that an advantage?

Johnson would get to pick his quarterback with the Raiders. Maybe Johnson doesn't have as high of an opinion of Williams as everyone assumes. He did say nice things about Williams' arm strength during the week before the last Bears-Lions game, but is that better than being able to pick your own QB, of not your own GM?

The Bears also have to battle the glitz of Vegas and a tremendous new stadium. They have no stadium and a promise by team president Kevin Warren to dig in the dirt for one this year ... somewhere and with unknown money from Illinois that they don't currently have.

Even if the Raiders do yield a natural advantage by offering to let Johnson pick the next GM, they've still got a lot to offer and will provide the Bears with plenty of competition should both deem Johnson the best choice for head coach.

Apparently Tom Brady already thinks this.

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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.