Here are the top Chicago Bears coaching candidates after they fired Matt Eberflus

The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday. The decision came during a disappointing season in which general manager Ryan Poles expected the Bears to take a big step and compete for the playoffs with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Poles and team president Kevin Warren now will have to decide who will take over a talented roster. Here are some of the top coaching candidates they should reach out to for an interview.

Ben Johnson

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been the hottest name in coaching circles for the past two years. Johnson was in high demand during the hiring cycle last year, but he decided not to take a head coaching job and instead return to the Lions in hopes of helping them win a Super Bowl in 2024.

Johnson has created the NFL’s most explosive offense in Detroit. For a first-time head coach, his asking price will not be cheap. He once again will be in high demand. Every team with an opening is going to want an interview with Johnson.

Johnson started his coaching journey as a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2009, one year after Ryan Poles held the same role.

Bill Belichick

Every team with an opening at head coach is obligated to, at the very least, put in a call with Bill Belichick. Although it seems highly dubious that Belichick and the McCaskey family could coexist, the Bears wouldn’t be doing their due diligence if they didn’t call the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.

Belichick has won 333 games as an NFL coach, including playoff wins. That’s second behind only Don Shula. The New England Patriots parted ways with the legendary coach following last season’s 4-13 effort. Belichick appeared to be a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons job last year, but the Falcons went with Raheem Morris instead.

He has, instead, spent this season working in media. Belichick is 72 years old. He went 29-38 in four seasons after Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay.

Kliff Kingsbury

Eberflus passed over Kliff Kingsbury when looking for an offensive coordinator in January. Eberflus interviewed Kingsbury but ultimately hired Shane Waldron to be his OC. Since then, Kinsgbury went on to join the Washington Commanders as offensive coordinator, and he has the Commanders’ offense rolling with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Mike Vrabel

Vrabel is one of the more experienced coaches on the list, which could change at the end of the season once more teams fire their coaches. He was fired by the Tennessee Titans at the end of last season after six mostly successful seasons, including three playoff berths and a trip to the AFC championship game. Vrabel is a hard-nosed coach who serves as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Browns.

Brian Flores

Longtime Belichick assistant Brian Flores has turned the Minnesota Vikings’ defense into one of the most ferocious in the NFL. The defensive coordinator probably will get another shot to be a head coach soon. Players respect him and play hard for him. In three years as a head coach for the Miami Dolphins, Flores led his team to a pair of winning seasons, including a 10-win season in 2020.

There are some limitations on Flores, however. The McCaskeys might not want to hire someone who is in active litigation with the NFL after he filed a lawsuit against the league in 2022 alleging racist hiring practices and racial discrimination during hiring processes.

Joe Brady

Aside from Johnson, Brady is one of the top young offensive minds in the league. He burst onto the scene leading the 2019 LSU offense but then struggled in his first NFL stint as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. The Bills’ offense took a big step when he took over as interim OC last season, and Josh Allen has looked good this season with Brady permanently in charge.