Talk about embarrassing.
Former Chicago Bears All-Pro center Olin Kreutz spent 13 seasons with the team, from 1998-2010, making six Pro Bowls in that span. A fan favorite who now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports and 670 The Score, Kreutz currently provides weekly analysis before and after Bears games. In a January 7 appearance on The Parkins & Spiegel Show, Kreutz was discussing the Bears’ current situation, and whether or not they should clean house and fire everyone, including head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.
It has gotten so bad at Halas Hall that several former players have begun to encourage team ownership, led by chairman George McCaskey, to bring in former players to advise them when making football decisions.
When asked if he would be open to helping his former team out, Kreutz answered in the affirmative — but noted he’d need a better offer than the one he received from the team back in 2018.
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Kreutz Says Bears Offered Him $15 an Hour to Work With Offensive Line in 2018
While on the show, Kreutz was asked if he’d be willing to advise the Bears, and he told co-hosts Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel about a ridiculously insulting offer he received from the Bears back in 2018, Nagy’s first year with the team.
“I’d ask if they were talking for free,” Kreutz responded. “The last time they offered me a job, they offered me $15 an hour, so that wasn’t enough.”
Parkins and Spiegel thought he was joking, but he was completely serious.
“I wouldn’t make that up. That’s the way they do business. Those are the things that have to change, right? This is what we’re talking about,” Kreutz said, also noting that Chicago’s former offensive line coach, Harry Hiestand, made the offer to him in person.
“Harry wanted me to come in there and help with the offensive line development, help coach offensive line. I would only be there player hours was my understanding. They offered me $15 an hour to come in there as like an independent contractor. That is exactly what they did.”
Here’s Olin telling the story:
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This is Beyond Embarrassing for the Bears
Kreutz, who has a glowing reputation and is beloved among fans and former teammates alike, also noted Pace joked about the offer a year later.
“I saw Ryan Pace at camp in 2019 and he made a joke about it. He said, ‘I guess we could’ve done a little better than that, Olin.’ The answer is yes, you could’ve.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Parkins said in response.
“I’m not shocked,” Kreutz added. “That didn’t shock me. The offer didn’t shock me. The way they approached it didn’t shock me. Obviously, Harry is a good friend of mine. I just said, ‘You know, Harry, for that amount, I cannot obviously work all those hours and try to help.’”
The Bears already have a reputation around the league for being a bit antiquated, but this is beyond ridiculous — and downright insulting.
“Embarrassing. No way to treat a legend,” 670 The Score’s David Haugh tweeted.
“Embarrassingly pathetic,” analyst Johnathan Wood added.
McCaskey and the rest of team ownership are in the process of deciding what to do about Nagy and Pace, but they should also take a long, hard look in the mirror, because if this is how they’re going to represent the organization, they might want to step aside now instead of continuing to insult fans and beloved former players.
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Bears Legend Shares Telling Story About Former Team: ‘I Wouldn’t Make That Up’