Here are the coaching candidates who the Chicago Bears have requested interviews with

LAKE FOREST – The coaching search began in earnest Monday. The Chicago Bears started their next chapter one day after defeating the Green Bay Packers for the first time in six years.

Beginning Monday, NFL teams with head coach openings could begin requesting interviews with coaches employed by other teams. Initial interviews with some candidates began as early as Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

For a full breakdown of all the rules surrounding the NFL hiring process, check out our review of the rules.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren will kick their search into high gear this week, roughly five weeks after firing former head coach Matt Eberflus.

Here are the coaching candidates who the Bears have already requested interviews with, per reports. The team will also formally interview interim head coach Thomas Brown, Poles said Sunday on the team’s official radio network.

The Bears requested interviews with these coaches

• Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator (per ESPN)
• Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach (per ESPN)
• Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator (per ESPN)
• Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator (per the NFL Network)
• Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator (per the NFL Network)
• Mike Kafka, New York Giants offensive coordinator (per the NFL Network)
• Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys head coach (per ESPN)
• Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator (per the NFL Network)
• Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator (per the NFL Network)
• David Shaw, Denver Broncos senior personnel executive (per the NFL Network)
• Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator (per ESPN)
• Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach (per the Boston Herald)
• Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator (per The Athletic)

Who else has head coach openings?

The Bears fired Eberflus on Nov. 29. Warren threw his support behind Poles days after the team fired Eberflus. Poles will be the “point person” in charge of the hiring process, but Warren and Poles will conduct interviews “in tandem.”

The Bears weren’t the only NFL team to fire a coach during the season. The New York Jets fired Robert Saleh in October and the New Orleans Saints fired coach Dennis Allen in November.

Earlier this week, the New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo after only one season and the Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Doug Pederson after three seasons in Jacksonville. The Las Vegas Raiders fired first-year coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday.

That leaves six current head coach openings: the Bears, Jets, Saints, Patriots, Jaguars and Raiders.

The New York Giants announced their support for head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen on Monday morning, despite a 3-14 season. They will remain in their roles.

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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised the work of coach Mike McCarthy on Sunday, but the Cowboys haven’t announced what they will do at head coach. McCarthy’s contract is set to expire this offseason. According to ESPN, the Cowboys denied the Bears' request to interview McCarthy. If the Cowboys and McCarthy can’t agree to a new deal by Jan. 14, he will become a free agent.

Jets request an interview with Matt Nagy

One former Bears head coach also found his name in the headlines this week. The Jets requested an interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, according to multiple reports.

Since the Bears fired Nagy following the 2021 season, Nagy returned to Kansas City to work with mentor Andy Reid. Nagy spent his first season as the quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023. The Chiefs have won the past two Super Bowls and are trying to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls.

The Jets are also reportedly interviewing with Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi. That could be a potential GM-head coach pairing. Borgonzi’s brother Dave Borgonzi is the current Bears linebackers coach.

The Bears went 34-31 over four seasons with Nagy as head coach, making two playoff appearances.