Getty Jim Caldwell has strong ties to Bill Polian, who is on Chicago's search committee.
The Chicago Bears are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a new head coach and general manager.
The Bears have already interviewed or requested interviews with over 10 potential coaching candidates, with former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores among the rumored favorites to fill the vacancy left by ex-coach Matt Nagy. Now, over a week into the search, an underdog candidate has emerged according to NFL insider Peter King.
In his January 17 column for NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk, King named former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as someone who has some pretty strong ties to those currently on the Bears’ search committee.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Caldwell Is Connected to Bill Polian, Who Is Helping Bears With Search
Bears team chairman George McCaskey revealed in his year-end press conference that former Colts general manager and team president Bill Polian, a Hall of Fame executive, will be helping Chicago select a new coach and GM. Polian was in Indy when Caldwell served as assistant head coach & quarterbacks coach and later head coach for three seasons.
The Bears’ search committee consists of McCaskey, Polian, Bears President Ted Phillips, Bears vice president of player engagement LaMar “Soup” Campbell and Bears senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Tanesha Wade, and it’s Polian’s history with Caldwell that makes him a candidate to watch.
ESPN analyst and draft insider Matt Miller pegged Caldwell as a prime candidate to replace Nagy in December, and now, King agrees, citing Polian as a reason Caldwell is a legit contender:
“Could they fall in love with Brian Flores? Someone likely will. I still like the logic of handing the coaching gig to Jim Caldwell, seeing that the chief adviser to the search is Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, who has always thought Caldwell didn’t get enough time (three seasons) in his first go-round as head coach in Indianapolis,” King wrote in his January 17 column:
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Caldwell Has Been Out of NFL Over Last 2 Seasons
King also noted former Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy — who isn’t part of the search committee, but whose opinion is highly-valued McCaskey — has also been pushing for Caldwell to get another head coaching opportunity.
“Caldwell is the steady hand that Tony Dungy is beyond convinced is going to give a young team, and a young quarterback, a great chance. Tough to doubt that. Caldwell was six games over .500 as a head man in Detroit,” King added.
Caldwell coached the Lions from 2014–2017, finishing with a winning record in three of his four seasons. He finished with a 36-28 record over his four years in Detroit, which is impressive considering what has come since. The Lions have gone 17-46-2 since his dismissal after a 9-7 season in 2017, when Detroit failed to make the playoffs. He took the Lions to the playoffs twice, and many were shocked when he was let go.
While he has over 40 years of experience and is undoubtedly a solid offensive mind, the 66-year-old Caldwell hasn’t coached in the league since 2019, and it’s fair to wonder if he may be a bit out of touch. With quarterback Justin Fields entering his second season, the Bears have to put his development first — and with candidates that also include Buffalo Bills’ OC Brian Daboll and Green Bay Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett — Caldwell may not be the best fit for what the Bears need right now.
We’ll see how it goes.
READ NEXT: Justin Fields Has Strong Words About His Future With the Bears