Getty Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears haven’t ruled out adding a new defensive coordinator to the coaching staff.
Head coach Matt Eberflus has been calling the defense since former DC Alan Williams stepped down due to “inappropriate activity,” per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. One day after Chicago’s first win of the season on the road against the Washington Commanders, media members asked Eberflus if the organization is considering adding another defensive coach to replace Williams.
“We’re having conversations on that,” Eberflus said on Friday, October 6. “If it works, if it’s right for us, that’s great. If it doesn’t, then it will be what it is. But we’re still looking at it. We have an open mind. There is nothing wrong with bringing somebody in who can help that has a different perspective.”
Several Quality Candidates Exist for Bears’ Open DC Position
GettyFormer Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is among the possible candidates to fill the team’s defensive coordinator position.
The Bears have a handful of quality options should the organization decide to add another name to the highest ranks of its coaching staff.
One name floated is that of former Chicago head coach Lovie Smith, who presided over the most successful era of the franchise since its Super Bowl days of the mid-1980s. Smith coached the Bears between 2004-2012, leading them to the playoffs three times. Chicago made two trips to the NFC Championship Game under Smith (2006, 2010) and lost the 2006 Super Bowl to the Colts.
Former Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan threw his name into the ring via X, the social media website formerly known as Twitter, following Williams’ resignation.
“DT the DC,” he posted on September 20. “Y’all know the number.”
While Trevathan may have been at least half-kidding, there are a handful of other names available who could make good additions to the defensive staff.
Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier has been in the mix for some head coaching positions and might be willing to explore another stint as a DC, this time in Chicago. He spent the past six seasons calling the defense for the Buffalo Bills and has a total of 14 years of experience as an NFL defensive coordinator on his resumé.
Rod Marinelli is another name to consider. Marinelli ran the defense in Chicago for the final three years of Smith’s tenure as head coach. He also served as DC for the Dallas Cowboys for six seasons between 2014-2019, where he worked with Eberflus for several years.
Bears Defense Flipped Switch in Win Over Commanders
GettyHead coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears has ran the defense for the last three weeks.
Eberflus ran the Indianapolis Colts defense as DC for four seasons before general manager Ryan Poles tapped him for the Bears head coaching position ahead of the 2022 campaign.
For the first time all season, Chicago’s defense came alive against Washington. The Bears hit quarterback Sam Howell 11 times and tallied 5 sacks against him. The team had only 2 sacks through four games prior to Thursday night.
Chicago tallied 6 total tackles for loss and recorded 5 pass breakups. The Bears also forced 2 turnovers, an interception by cornerback Greg Stroman Jr. and a fumble recovery by cornerback Terell Smith. Chicago has only 4 takeaways on the year and has a turnover differential of -4, per The Football Database, which ranks the team 26th in the NFL in that category heading into this weekend’s games.
One good performance does not a season make, and the Bears’ performance against the Commanders isn’t necessarily an indicator of where the remainder of the year will go. The 20 points Chicago surrendered to Washington is the defense’s best total of the year, though that isn’t saying too much for a team that has given up 31.4 points per contest through its first five games.