Bears Expected To Interview Jim Caldwell For HC Job
After sitting out the last two years, Jim Caldwell has now gotten his second head coaching interview of 2022. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), Caldwell is expected to interview for the Bears head coaching gig. Caldwell previously interviewed for the Jaguars HC job.
Caldwell, 66, served as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 before health issues forced him to step aside. Fortunately, he’s said to be back to full health now, and it sounds like he’s ready for his next job.
Between his time with the Colts and Lions, Caldwell owns a career 62-50 record as a head coach with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Caldwell’s last stop in Detroit saw him never finish with fewer than seven wins, but he was still canned following back-to-back 9-7 seasons.
Caldwell is now the 10th head coaching candidate for the position previously held by Matt Nagy. The group of candidates includes:
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator (Colts): Interview requested
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/14
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): To interview 1/16
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/15
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interviewed 1/12
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
Bears Request To Interview Chargers’ Wooden
Do not be surprised if you start getting calls from Chicago because the Bears are searching far and wide to fill their vacant general manager position and they are interviewing EVERYBODY! The newest candidate to add to the list is Chargers’ director of player personnel, JoJo Wooden, according to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Wooden has been with the Chargers since 2013 overseeing the pro and college scouting department for the Chargers. He got his start with the Jets in 1997 and spent 10 seasons working his way up from pro personnel assistant to the assistant director, player personnel, a position he held for six more years.
What makes Wooden an interesting candidate for the Bears’ job is the connections he has to the search committee. Bears Senior Writer Larry Mayer reported a couple days ago that Bill Polian, who has spent time as a general manager for the Bills, Panthers, and, most notably, the Colts, will be a resource to the Bears as they go through the process of hiring a new head coach and general manager. Wooden is known as a key lieutenant for the Chargers’ current general manager Tom Telesco, and Telesco worked under Polian during Polian’s entire tenure in Indianapolis.
To date, the Bears have already interviewed the Browns’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Glenn Cook and their own assistant director of player personnel, Champ Kelly. They’ve also requested interviews with the Colts’ Morocco Brown and Ed Dodds, the 49ers’ Ran Carthon, the Saints’ Jeff Ireland, the Steelers’ Omar Khan, the Giants’ Joe Schoen, and the Patriots’ Eliot Wolf. Texans’ former general manager Rick Smith has also been identified as a candidate.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/13/22
Today’s updates for the reserve/COVID-19 and practice squad/COVID-19 lists:
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Justin Fields
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Malcolm Smith, CB Denzel Ward
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Joe Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jayron Kearse
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB C.J. Beathard
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Caleb Benenoch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR James Washington
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Buddy Johnson
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Bears Interview Champ Kelly For GM Role; Team Interested In Rick Smith?
Comprised entirely of outside candidates previously, the Bears’ GM interview list now includes one of their own staffers. The Bears interviewed assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly for their GM job Thursday.
Brought in at the start of Ryan Pace‘s GM tenure, Kelly has been with the Bears since 2015. The veteran staffer began as the team’s pro scouting director and has served in his current role since 2017. The Bears promoting a Pace lieutenant would surprise, but Kelly has drawn extensive interest from outside the organization.
The Broncos and Panthers interviewed Kelly for their GM job last year, before respectively hiring George Paton and Scott Fitterer. In 2019, the Jets brought in Kelly for an interview ahead of their Joe Douglas hire. Kelly spent eight years in Denver prior to coming to Chicago. The Bears also completed their interview with Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Thursday.
The Bears may also have a higher-profile candidate on the radar. Not yet on the team’s interview list, former Texans GM Rick Smith is expected to draw interest from the Bears, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. Smith has not held an NFL role since stepping away from his longtime post as Texans GM after the 2017 season.
Although Smith has not landed on any interview lists during this cycle, he was popular on the 2021 circuit. The Jaguars and Lions met with the 12-year Texans GM, and Washington’s 2020 interview with Smith nearly led to a hire. Smith was in place as GM for the first four playoff berths in Texans history, having drafted the likes of J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins. Smith’s final draft involved the team’s trade-up for Deshaun Watson.
Here is how the Bears’ GM field looks as of Thursday afternoon:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Interviewed 1/13
- Morocco Brown, director of college scouting (Colts): Interview requested
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interview requested
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/12
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): Interview requested
- Jeff Ireland, assistant general manager (Saints): Interview requested
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): Interviewed 1/13
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration: Interview requested
- Joe Schoen, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
- Rick Smith, former general manager (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interview requested
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/12/22
A number of players continue to sign reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (mostly) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. We’ve compiled today’s reserve/futures contracts below:
Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears
- QB Ryan Willis
Denver Broncos
- DE Jonathan Kongbo
Detroit Lions
- TE Matt Sokol
Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans Saints
- QB Blake Bortles, C Cohl Cabral, DL Malcolm Roach, DB Bryce Thompson, WR Kevin White, TE Ethan Wolf
Minnesota Vikings
- G Kyle Hinton
New York Jets
Washington Football Team
- DT David Bada
Bears Request GM Interview With Steelers’ Omar Khan
After a complicated run during last year’s GM hiring period, Omar Khan is a name to watch again. The Bears sent out an interview request to speak with the Steelers exec Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The Steelers vice president of football and business administration figures to be a candidate to succeed departing Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert, but for the second straight year, his name has surfaced on the interview circuit. Khan has been with the Steelers since 2001, though he was seemingly prepared to leave Pennsylvania for another gig last year.
A key figure for the Steelers on the contract front, Khan became the top candidate for the Texans’ GM post last year. The Texans offered Khan the job, on the recommendation of the search firm the franchise hired, and were believed to be negotiating a deal with him. At the 11th hour, those plans changed; Nick Caserio became Houston’s GM. Khan also interviewed with the Panthers, who ended up hiring Scott Fitterer to team with Matt Rhule.
Khan is the ninth name connected to the Bears’ GM search. Here is how that stands as of Wednesday afternoon:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Interview requested
- Morocco Brown, director of college scouting (Colts): Interview requested
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interview requested
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interview requested
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): Interview requested
- Jeff Ireland, assistant general manager (Saints): Interview requested
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Interview requested
- Joe Schoen, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interview requested
Bears Request To Interview Pats’ Eliot Wolf
The Chicago Bears have added another candidate to their list of potential replacements for former-general manager Ryan Pace. According to a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears have requested to interview Patriots’ senior consultant Eliot Wolf for their open general manager position. 
Wolf started off as a pro personnel assistant in 2004 with the Packers, where his father, Ron Wolf, served as general manager from 1991 to 2000. In eight years with the team, Eliot worked his way into the director of pro personnel role, which he held for three years. In his last two seasons in Green Bay, he spent time in the roles of director of player personnel and director of football operations.
He left Wisconsin for the assistant general manager position in Cleveland before taking his current position as a senior consultant in New England.
Wolf has heard his name make the rounds for open general manager positions before. He first interviewed in San Francisco, after the 49ers fired Trent Baalke following the 2016 NFL season. He was also considered to follow in his father’s footsteps in Green Bay and succeed the late-Ted Thompson when he stepped down from the position following the 2017 season.
Wolf is likely hoping that he will finally get his chance to take the next step up for the bitter rivals of the team that gave him his start.
Bears Request Four More GM Interviews
We can add three more names to the list of Bears GM candidates. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), Chicago requested permission to interview Colts vice president of player personnel Ed Dodds. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Bears also requested permission to interview Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland, while Albert Breer of TheMMQB tweets that Chicago put in a request on 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon. Schefter also notes (on Twitter) that Chicago requested an interview with Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen.
[RELATED: Bears Request Interviews With Three Execs For GM Gig]
Dodds was a popular name in the GM circuit last offseason, when he was connected to gigs with the Lions and Panthers. Dodds has worked with the Colts since 2017, and he was promoted to his current position in 2018. Dodds previously spent time in the Seahawks front office, where he played a major role in constructing a Super Bowl-winning roster.
Best known for his time as Dolphins GM (2008-13), Ireland resurfaced with the Saints and helped the Mickey Loomis–Sean Payton regime reposition the team as the NFC South’s best after some mid-2010s defensive struggles. During Ireland’s stay, the Saints have draft perennial Pro Bowlers Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore and several other impact starters. He was also connected to the Lions and Panthers gigs last offseason.
Carthon is already set to interview for the open Giants GM job. The former Florida Gators fullback has spent a decade as a pro personnel director, doing so with the Rams from 2012-16 and in his five years with the 49ers. Carthon was promoted to his current role during this past offseason.
Schoen has been with the Bills organization since 2017, and he’s played a major role in the organization’s recent rise in the AFC. Prior to his stint in Buffalo, Schoen spent almost a decade in Miami (when he was endorsed by Bill Parcells), evolving from a national scout into director of player personnel. The executive also had a stint with the Panthers, working his way up from an intern in the ticket office.
We learned of the first three potential names to replace Ryan Pace in Chicago, with Browns VP of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of player personnel Glenn Cook, and Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown connected to the job.
Latest Bears’ Head Coach Interview Requests
The second wave of interview requests has begun for the teams who let go of coaches and executives yesterday. The busiest of those teams, so far, is the Chicago Bears. In addition to the requests they made on Monday after firing Matt Nagy, another seven interviews have been scheduled for the Head Coaching vacancy. 
[Related: Bears Request Interviews With Bills DC Leslie Frazier, OC Brian Daboll]
Just as the Bears are interested in both Bills’ coordinators, they have requested to interview both Buccaneers’ coordinators, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). OC Byron Leftwich has held his title since 2019, where he reunited with HC Bruce Arians. Leftwich was in charge of the Super-Bowl winning Bucs offense last season, and has helped the unit put up the second most points per game (30.1) in the league in 2021. DC Todd Bowles also reunited with Arians in 2019 in Tampa Bay, and played a crucial role in the Bucs’ smothering defensive performance in that Super Bowl victory.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), another request was made to Colts DC Matt Eberflus, who has also been named as an interviewee with the Jaguars. After an impressive stint as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach from 2011-2017, Eberflus took the defensive coordinator position in Indy in 2018, and immediately helped turn that unit around.
Next on the list is Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (Twitter link via Pelissero). Quinn has since been linked with all four current Head Coaching vacancies, making him the most sought-after candidate so far. His work with Dallas’ defense in just one season – seventh in the league in points allowed per game, first in interceptions, to name a few statistics – has put him in line to get another HC gig one year after being fired by the Falcons.
Per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport, Doug Pederson will also be interviewed (Twitter link). Pederson was fired by the Eagles exactly one year ago, and has also been linked with multiple teams. The 2017 Super Bowl winner, like Quinn, seems to have a good chance at rejoining the Head Coaching ranks during this hiring cycle.
Another popular name is Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, whom the Bears will interview on Friday or Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). Breer notes that Hackett has also received requests from the Broncos and Jaguars, as the 42-year-old has overseen one of the league’s best offenses in Green Bay for the past two seasons.
Last, but certainly not least, recently fired Brian Flores has been added to the list of interviewees, according to Pelissero (Twitter link). After three seasons – including the last two with winning records – in Miami, Flores was let go in what has been the most surprising move of the coaching cycle so far. The Bears are not expected to be the only team interviewing the 40-year-old, though nothing has officially been lined up with any other clubs yet.
Bears Request Interviews With Bills DC Leslie Frazier, OC Brian Daboll
While the Bears seem to prefer to hire a GM before they add a new head coach, that won’t stop the organization from interviewing coaching candidates. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (via Twitter), the Bears requested an interview with Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and are planning on interviewing former Eagles HC Doug Pederson (link). ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Chicago has also requested an interview with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
[RELATED: Bears Fire HC Matt Nagy, GM Ryan Pace]
Frazier has been with Buffalo throughout Sean McDermott‘s five-year tenure, overseeing a Bills defensive resurgence, and would be a second-chance candidate after a four-season run as Vikings HC in the early 2010s. Frazier also has clear ties to the Bears, having played for the team in the 1980s. A starting cornerback on the famed 1985 squad that finished 18-1 and routed the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, Frazier intercepted 20 passes in five seasons with Chicago.
Pederson had Carson Wentz playing at an MVP level through the first 14 weeks of the 2017 season, up until his fateful ACL tear. Then, with backup QB Nick Foles under center, he guided the Birds to their first ever Super Bowl ring. Pederson’s final Philadelphia season ended with a 4-11-1 mark, but he remains an attractive candidate nonetheless. This offseason, he’s already interviewed for the Jaguars HC vacancy.
Daboll started his NFL coaching career back in 2000 with the Patriots. He got his first coordinator gig with the Browns in 2009, and he’s since held the same role with the Dolphins, Chiefs, and the Bills (along with Alabama). He was a popular candidate last offseason, with the Jets and Chargers eyeing the offensive coordinator.