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Ron Rivera gets another interview for NFL head coach opening

The Chicago Bears expand their head coach search to include the two-time Coach of the Year.
Tim Weaver|
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JANUARY 07: Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera walks the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on January 07, 2024 in Landover, Maryland.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JANUARY 07: Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera walks the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on January 07, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. | (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has been drawing some interest from teams who have a head coach opening in this cycle. A couple of weeks ago we learned that Rivera earned an interview with the New York Jets for their job. Yesterday it was reported that Rivera will also interview for the Chicago Bears' head coach job, according to Jonathan Jones at CBS Sports.

The Bears fired their head coach Matt Eberflus after an all-time game management blunder against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. Since then former Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown has been acting as their interim head coach, but there doesn't seem to be any real consideration of him as a long-term candidate.

Chicago finished the season with a 5-12 record, good for last place in the brutally-competitive NFC North, where every other team finished with at least 10 wins and made the playoffs.

It's a big gap between the Bears and the rest of the division, but someone like RIvera might be the answer. While his all-time win/loss record is not all that impressive - Rivera is 102-103-2 as a head coach in the NFL - he is a culture builder, which is something that organization desperately needs. Rivera also played linebacker for the Bears at their peak from 1984-1992.

At his best Rivera led the Panthers to three straight NFC South championships and won two Coach of the Year awards, peaking with a trip to the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos.

The most-popular candidate for the Chicago job is of course Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who interviewed with the team virtually earlier this week. As of yet Rivera s the only candidate to be granted an in-person interview.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.