NFL Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Eberflus, Rivera
The rumors have not slowed down linking University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. Harbaugh has been continuously mentioned as a candidate for any open head coaching position in the last few years, and his latest move is only adding fuel to the fire. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Harbaugh has hired a new agent in Don Yee, a longtime agent with such notable clients as Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
Harbaugh is currently in a complicated position. As NFL teams have begun parting ways with coaches or making their intentions for the future clear, Harbaugh still has to deal with his current position. The top-ranked Wolverines are one of four college football teams in the country with something still to play for. Tomorrow afternoon, Michigan will face off against the 4-seed Crimson Tide for a chance to play in the National Championship the following Monday. In addition to being in contention to win it all at the college level, Harbaugh has also been in major discussions for an extension to remain at Michigan.
The possibility of an extension is one likely reason for Yee’s hiring. Entering complicated contract negotiations that have been rumored to include a clause restricting Harbaugh’s ability to leave for an NFL job is reason enough to bring in representation. That being said, Yee’s NFL ties are not easy to ignore. The obvious tie with Yee comes from his relationship with Brady. Brady has been rumored as a potential candidate for partial ownership in the Raiders, who recently parted ways with head coach Josh McDaniels. Interim head coach Antonio Pierce has been making a strong case to hold on to the permanent position with a 4-3 record since taking over, but we saw a similar interim situation not pan out for the incumbent coach in Carolina last year, so anything is still possible.
Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the NFL:
- In a report last night, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport delivered an update on Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Entering the 2023 season on a 10-game losing streak after having gone 3-14 in his first season as head coach, patience for Eberflus in Chicago seemed to be wearing thin. After the team finally ended the skid at 14 games, Eberflus has led the Bears to a 6-5 record since, keeping the team improbably in the playoff race. The Bears are playing winning football recently, with even their most recent two losses coming in one-score games against playoff teams from Detroit and Cleveland. At this point, Rapoport claims that he would be surprised to not see Eberflus back for the 2024 season. Additionally, Eberflus has been handling defensive coordinator duties since the untimely resignation of Alan Williams at the start of the season, a role he also may retain going into next year.
- On the other hand, Rapoport wasn’t nearly as optimistic about the prospects for current Commanders head coach Ron Rivera. With new owner Josh Harris in the building, it was expected that Rivera would at least be granted the opportunity to make a case to retain his position. After a six-game losing streak that has eliminated Washington from playoff contention, Rivera’s audition is not going well. Spelling further possible doom for Rivera, after putting all of his eggs in the Sam Howell-basket, hoping to develop the young gunslinger into a franchise passer, Rivera has been forced to bench Howell in each of the team’s last two losses in favor of Jacoby Brissett. Nothing seems to have been decided quite yet, but things aren’t looking promising for Rivera and company in Washington.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/23
Here are today’s minor transactions and callups for the remainder of the Week 17 matchups:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: CB Bobby Price
- Elevated: WR Dan Chisena
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: OL John Leglue
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: WR Laquon Treadwell
- Elevated: S Andrew Adams, OLB Jeremiah Moon
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: G J.D. DiRenzo, CB AJ Parker
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: WR Collin Johnson
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis, LB Buddy Johnson
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: WR Michael Bandy
- Elevated: WR Phillip Dorsett, OLB Ronnie Perkins
- Placed on reserve/non-football illness list: RB Dwayne Washington
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: TE Anthony Firkser
- Elevated: DL Tyson Alualu, DE Bruce Irvin
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: LB Liam Anderson, WR Ethan Fernea
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Keaontay Ingram, NT Mike Pennel
- Waived: DT Matt Dickerson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: DT Matthew Butler, TE Cole Fotheringham
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: WR Keelan Doss
- Elevated: DT Christopher Hinton, OL Austen Pleasants
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: OLB Melvin Ingram
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: DL T.J. Smith, LB Nick Vigil
- Elevated: WR Lucky Jackson, CB Jaylin Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Troy Dye
New England Patriots
- Elevated: TE Matt Sokol, OL Andrew Stueber
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: LB Darrian Beavers
- Elevated: K Mason Crosby, WR Dennis Houston
- Placed on IR: TE Lawrence Cager
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: LB Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: LB Myles Jack, S Eric Rowe
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: S Erik Harris, WR Tay Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Derrek Pitts, TE David Wells
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DT Ross Blacklock
- Elevated: LB Tae Crowder, CB Kendall Sheffield
- Placed on IR: TE Josh Whyle
Alualu is set to make his Lions debut after signing earlier this month. Given the injury issues Detroit has faced up front, the 36-year-old has the chance to see playing time through the close of the regular season and into the playoffs. Alualu expressed a desire to continue playing with the Steelers this offseason, but he remained a free agent deep into the year. His tenure in the Motor City could help boost his free agent stock if he wishes to remain in the league in 2024, though.
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.
In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.
The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.
It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.
Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
- Washington Commanders: 4-11
- New England Patriots: 4-11
- New York Giants: 5-10
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
- Tennessee Titans: 5-10
- Chicago Bears: 6-9
- New York Jets: 6-9
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
- New Orleans Saints: 7-8
- Green Bay Packers: 7-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
- Denver Broncos: 7-8
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
- Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
- Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
- Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
- Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
- Buffalo Bills: 9-6
- Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Detroit Lions: 11-4
- Miami Dolphins: 11-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
- San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
- Baltimore Ravens: 12-3
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/23
Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: WR Dan Chisena, WR Kaden Davis
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: FB Keith Smith
- Signed to active roster: TE Tucker Fisk
- Elevated: P Pat O’Donnell, OL John Leglue
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: RB Leonard Fournette
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: G Gabe Jackson, G J.D. DiRenzo
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: WR Collin Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: S Tanner McCalister, LB Charlie Thomas
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis, RB Malik Davis
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: QB Ben DiNucci, OLB Ronnie Perkins
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: K Michael Badgley (story), TE Anthony Firkser
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: WR Bo Melton, S Benny Sapp
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: WR Ethan Fernea
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: CB Ethan Bonner, OLB Melvin Ingram
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: WR Lucky Jackson, CB Jaylin Williams
New York Jets
- Elevated: FB Nick Bawden, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Kelvin Joseph, S Ty Okada
Tennessee Titans
- DB Shyheim Carter, CB Tay Gowan
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: LS Tucker Addington, OL Nolan Laufenberg
The Bills will not have depth running back Ty Johnson available for tonight’s game, leading to the decision to elevate Fournette. The former Super Bowl champion will thus make his Buffalo debut, although with lead back James Cook in the lineup, Fournette will likely not receive many looks on offense. The latter has already returned a kickoff for the first time in his career, however.
Signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, Ingram will also make his 2023 debut in Week 16. The 34-year-old last played during his Miami stint in 2022, during which time he started three games and recorded six sacks. With Jaelan Phillips out for the year, Ingram will look to once again give the Dolphins a rotational presence off the edge.
Bears Extend K Cairo Santos
Cairo Santos is sticking around Chicago for the foreseeable future. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears have signed their kicker to a four-year extension.
The four-year deal is worth $16.5MM, including $9.5MM in guaranteed money. The contract will keep Santos in Chicago through at least the 2027 season. The veteran was playing on the final year of a three-year, $9MM contract he signed with the organization back in 2021.
Santos has established himself as the most accurate kicker in franchise history thanks to his ongoing four-year stretch with the organization. Since re-joining the Bears in 2020 (Santos had a two-game stint with the organization in 2017), Santos has connected on 91.2 percent of his field goal attempts and 92.7 percent of his extra point tries.
The 32-year-old has continued to be reliable in 2023. In 14 games, Santos has connected on 27 of his 29 field goal tries (93.1 percent) and 24 of his 26 XP tries (92.3 percent). Per ESPN’s Field Yates, Santos has also converted 10-straight field goals from at least 50 yards, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Santos has revived his career in Chicago. After spending his first three-plus seasons as the Chiefs primary kicker, he bounced around the NFL for a few years. Between 2017 and 2019, Santos spent time with the Chiefs, Bears, Jets, Rams, and Buccaneers, with the kicker connecting on only 68.8 percent of his field goals over that span. As noted, he’s been significantly more dependable in Chicago, and the Bears are rewarding his consistency with a long-term deal.
Jaylon Johnson Aiming To Stay With Bears
Jaylon Johnson has put together one of the best contract years in recent memory. The fourth-year Bears cornerback has placed himself on the radar to become one of the top free agents in 2024, but the sentiment he expressed during this past offseason remains.
The former second-round pick wants to stay with the Bears. The difference from Johnson’s June stance to now: a second contract will be much costlier for the team. The 24-year-old corner has been one of the best cornerbacks in the game this season.
“I want to stay here,” Johnson said, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jason Lieser. “I definitely want to get something done [here] first, but if something doesn’t get done, I’m not opposed to any other options. I would love to stay here.
“Couldn’t see myself anywhere else. It’s easy to say you want out of somewhere until you get it and then it’s like, ‘Ah, this may not be quite what I want.’”
Since the Bears allowed Johnson to see if a viable trade offer emerged just before the deadline, he has continued to submit a top-flight CB season. Pro Football Focus slots Johnson as this season’s No. 1 cornerback, and Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics indicate the Ryan Pace-era draftee has allowed a paltry 49.7 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage. That number is miles ahead of Johnson’s figures from 2020-22. Teams could conceivably be skeptical of Johnson sustaining this form, but he is well past a “prove it” deal.
Johnson, who has intercepted four passes in 2023, acknowledged he has “definitely added some money” this season. Following Johnson’s eventful deadline day, GM Ryan Poles said the team wants to retain the ascending perimeter corner. The team held out for a first- or second-round pick in exchange. The Bears have already signed off on a big-ticket extension for deadline-day acquisition Montez Sweat, and while Johnson once said it would be an issue if the team extended Sweat before him, that has not ultimately swayed his pro-Chicago stance.
The Bears have paid up for a cornerback’s strong contract year in the recent past. After the team declined Kyle Fuller‘s fifth-year option in 2017, Pace and Co. circled back and transition-tagged him a year later. The Packers submitted Fuller an offer sheet, and the Bears matched it. The Bears may be in position to unholster their franchise tag to keep Johnson, though no team has tagged a corner since the Rams cuffed Trumaine Johnson for a second time back in 2017. OverTheCap projects a 2024 CB tag will come in just north of $18MM. A transition tag is projected to cost more than $15MM, but the Bears would receive no compensation if they did not match an offer sheet. The franchise tag would effectively keep Johnson in Chicago, as teams would not be willing to fork over two first-round picks for an unmatched offer sheet.
Poles already took care of 2020 draftee Cole Kmet, and Darnell Mooney has not enjoyed a good contract year. With Kmet and Sweat signed, Johnson profiles as Chicago’s clear-cut top priority. Even after the Sweat re-up, the Bears are projected to hold the seventh-most cap space (more than $63MM) in 2024. But it will undoubtedly take a monster offer to keep the 6-foot defender off the market. It certainly sounds like Johnson would be amenable to re-signing before free agency, should Poles and Co. view him as a cornerstone piece.
“I feel like we’re building something special, too, especially the guys in the locker room,” Johnson said, via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin. “It’s something that I don’t think I can get anywhere else. I would like to stay in that and continue to build, make it better.”
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
The Panthers’ Week 15 win over the Falcons brought the Patriots and Cardinals, who each lost, one game closer to the No. 1 overall pick. New England’s weaker strength of schedule provides keeps Arizona in the No. 3 spot, while Washington — weeks away from a likely full-scale reboot — has lost five straight to move into position for its first top-five pick since 2020.
Early reports have the Bears more likely to draft Justin Fields‘ replacement than trading a top pick once again, but the Patriots and Cardinals are still in the running for what could well be the Caleb Williams draft slot. Much less drama would emerge if New England claimed the top pick, as the Patriots would be expected to draft the top QB prize. Arizona landing atop the draft for the second time in six years could produce a derby, with Kyler Murray‘s contract difficult (but not impossible) to move for new GM Monti Ossenfort. QB-needy teams may well be hoping the Cardinals land one of the top two spots, however, providing a potential gateway to a trade-up for Williams or Drake Maye.
The Raiders’ 63-21 demolition of the Chargers slid them down six spots compared to their position last week. The Packers also climbed eight spots from their slot going into Week 15. Green Bay has not held a top-11 draft choice since it drafted B.J. Raji in the 2009 first round; that came on the heels of Aaron Rodgers‘ first season at the helm. Jordan Love‘s QB1 debut season could still produce a playoff berth, however, and the rest of the NFC and AFC wild-card races remain tightly bunched.
Here is how the 2024 draft order looks with three regular-season games to play:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- New England Patriots: 3-11
- Arizona Cardinals: 3-11
- Washington Commanders: 4-10
- Chicago Bears: 5-9
- New York Giants: 5-9
- New York Jets: 5-9
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-9
- Tennessee Titans: 5-9
- Atlanta Falcons: 6-8
- Green Bay Packers: 6-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
- New Orleans Saints: 7-7
- Denver Broncos: 7-7
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-7
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Buffalo Bills: 8-6
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-7
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-7
- Los Angeles Rams: 7-7
- Indianapolis Colts: 8-6
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-6
- Cincinnati Bengals: 8-6
- Kansas City Chiefs: 9-5
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Detroit Lions: 10-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 10-4
- Miami Dolphins: 10-4
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
- Baltimore Ravens: 11-3
- San Francisco 49ers: 11-3
Bears Leaning Toward Drafting QB, Trading Justin Fields?
A host of GMs said last week the Bears’ decision between signing up for another year of Justin Fields or trading their current starter and committing to a quarterback at No. 1 overall would not be especially difficult. No proclamations have emerged for Chicago yet, but signs are pointing toward the rebuilding team starting over at QB.
If the Panthers close out the season in the NFL’s basement to secure the Bears the No. 1 overall pick, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan indicates Chicago will not be expected to pass on Caleb Williams. Viewed by most as the top available quarterback in the 2024 prospect pool (despite not having declared yet), Williams will be the favorite to go first overall in April.
This report checks in as another checkmark in the “trade Fields, draft his replacement” column. Prior to Fields returning from his thumb injury and beginning what amounted to a seven-game audition, the Bears were believed to be leaning in this direction. Then again, an ensuing report pointed to the team still having enough belief in the Ryan Pace-era investment it would take an impressive prospect to convince GM Ryan Poles to bail on his current QB. Williams may end up being that, and Poles passing on a QB at No. 1 overall in two straight years is a bit difficult to envision.
Two NFL execs view Williams as a player who would have been chosen in front of Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud in this year’s draft, with one of those staffers (via SI.com’s Albert Breer) indicating only Trevor Lawrence has been a better QB prospect than the USC talent over the past three drafts. While the latest Lincoln Riley-developed QB prospect did not match his Heisman-winning sophomore year, he is still viewed as a top-tier prospect. For a Bears regime that did not draft Fields, it will be tempting to retool around a rookie with a higher ceiling.
The Bears would need to make a call on Fields’ fifth-year option by May, but if they are to trade the 2021 first-rounder, it will be another team’s responsibility to exercise the option. The Jets proceeded this way in 2021, trading Sam Darnold to the Panthers, who promptly picked up his fifth-year option. Williams coming to the Windy City would give the team three more years of cost certainty at the position. With the Bears still rebuilding under Poles, it would certainly make sense for the team to reboot to allow for additional roster bolstering around a rookie contract.
Fields has shown flashes of high-end talent, though much of the Ohio State alum’s appeal comes from his historic gifts in the run game. Fields made a run at Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing record last year but showed clear flaws as a passer. The Bears’ attempt to equip Fields with more help led to the D.J. Moore trade, which gave the Panthers this year’s top pick. QBR still ranks Fields in the bottom quartile, slotting him 23rd out of 29 qualified passers this season. The dual-threat QB has raised his completion percentage slightly from 2022 (to 61.4%), but it has come with a lower yards per attempt (6.7, which also ranks 23rd in the NFL).
Moving parts still exist here. Neither Poles nor HC Matt Eberflus are locks to return in 2024, though the former is a better bet to stay in place, with new president Kevin Warren wielding influence now. Williams is expected to declare soon, but that is not official. The Panthers also must close out the season in the top draft slot; the Patriots and Cardinals are now just one game back, at 3-11 apiece. It is also possible Drake Maye impresses during the pre-draft process — to the point he leapfrogs Williams — but the former Oklahoma recruit has resided in pole position for months.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23
Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: G Elijah Wilkinson
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DT Kentavius Street
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: OLB Jeremiah Moon
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: G Gabe Jackson, OL J.D. DiRenzo
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: LB DeMarquis Gates
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: S Tanner McCalister, LB Charlie Thomas III
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis, RB Malik Davis
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: NT Tyler Lancaster, QB Ben DiNucci
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: K Michael Badgley, DE Bruce Irvin
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Kenyan Drake, WR Bo Melton
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: K Ka’imi Fairbairn
- Elevated: WR Steven Sims, LB Garret Wallow
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: S Deon Bush
- Elevated: NT Mike Pennel, RB Deneric Prince
- Waived: LB Darius Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: WR Tyler Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: CB Ethan Bonner, RB Darrynton Evans
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB Kevin Harris
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Marquez Callaway, T Cameron Erving
New York Giants
- Waived: S Bobby McCain
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: OL Xavier Newman
- Elevated: DE Jalyn Holmes, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Placed on IR: LB Zaire Barnes
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: DT T.Y. McGill, RB Jeremy McNichols
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Richard LeCounte, CB Derrek Pitts
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: DL Marlon Davidson, LB JoJo Domann
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: RB Jonathan Williams
Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.
Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.
McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.
Latest On Justin Fields, Bears’ HC/GM Plans
Upon returning from a dislocated thumb, Justin Fields faced a seven-game audition that would likely determine his post-2023 future in Chicago. Thus far, the 2021 first-round pick has impressed. The Bears have won two straight against division rivals, and Fields put together a solid game in the team’s upset win over the Lions in Week 14.
Before Fields began this final audition of sorts, reports pointed the Bears in different directions regarding their QB future. Multiple mid-November reports indicated the team was more likely to trade Fields and go with a top prospect in the 2024 draft. With the Panthers continuing to struggle and now two games behind the NFL’s second-worst record with four to play, the Bears are closer to having another opportunity to make their choice atop a draft. While Ryan Poles passed on that chance this year, trading the top pick to Carolina, it would represent a bigger risk move another No. 1 choice.
Although a subsequent report pegged the Bears as needing to be “blown away” by a QB prospect to move on from Fields, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson spoke with a number of GMs who suggest the Bears’ decision should not be that difficult. Reasons ranging from Caleb Williams‘ prospect profile to cost certainty to the risk of trading No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back years to Poles not being in Chicago when Fields was drafted pointed to the anonymous GMs expecting the team to trade its current quarterback and prepare for the future.
This scenario would remind of the Jets’ 2021 call, which now doubles as a warning to other teams. While some in the Jets’ building advocated for keeping Sam Darnold and passing on drafting Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall two years ago, the Jets centered their future around Wilson by trading Darnold to the Panthers for a three-pick package.
The key difference here being that Williams is a former Heisman winner who has resided as a top-tier prospect for multiple seasons; Wilson, conversely, rocketed toward the top of the ’21 draft board because he impressed against lower-level competition. The COVID-19-altered 2020 season, featuring independent BYU needing to schedule lesser competition, created this scenario. No such variables exist with Williams, though he could not match his dominant 2022 Heisman campaign this year.
Should the Bears follow that Jets plan, the anonymous execs told Robinson that the team should not be expected to fetch a first-round pick in a Fields trade. None of the seven trade proposals featured a first-rounder, though a few included a second. This partially hinges on Fields finishing this season strong. That would undoubtedly increase the run-oriented QB’s trade value while also making Poles’ decision more difficult.
It is still not a lock the Bears have Poles and Matt Eberflus in place to make these decisions. President Kevin Warren, whom the Bears hired in January, represents a wild card. Even if the Panthers provide the Bears with the No. 1 pick, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Warren will be expected to seriously consider changes to the coaching staff and front office. We heard this in September, but the Bears have performed better as of late. They are now only one game out of another mediocre NFC pursuit for the No. 7 seed, and La Canfora offers the caveat of a surprise playoff surge taking 2024 HC-GM changes off the table.
Warren is primarily running the Bears’ efforts to secure a new stadium, but the former Big Ten commissioner is expected to weigh in on football matters — like how the team should proceed with the No. 1 pick. Formerly a Lions, Vikings and Rams staffer, Warren is set to evaluate Poles and Eberflus in the offseason. The subject of wanting his own HC will likely come up, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan. How that potential motivation would affect Poles remains to be seen, but Eberflus probably joins Fields in needing to prove himself to close out this season.
This is not especially uncommon. New Commanders owner Josh Harris is expected to fire Ron Rivera, while the Broncos both changed HCs a year after hiring a new GM (going from Vic Fangio to Nathaniel Hackett) and then a year after having new ownership (Hackett to Sean Payton). The Panthers fired Rivera during David Tepper‘s second year in charge. The Bears do not have a new owner, but it is clear Warren will be a key decision-maker when it comes time to make a call on staffers. While the Bears are a long shot to extend this late-season recovery to the playoffs, the 2023 squad’s homestretch will be important through a long-term lens.