Chicago Bears' coaching search can begin in earnest Monday. Here’s what that looks like

The NFL regular season concludes Sunday. The Chicago Bears will take on the rival Green Bay Packers at noon Sunday from Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

After that, the attention will turn toward general manager Ryan Poles and his search for the next Bears head coach. The Bears fired former head coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. It marked the first time the team has fired a head coach during a season.

Bears team president Kevin Warren promised that the search for the next coach would be “exhaustive.” Warren said he and Poles would work “in tandem” to find the next head coach.

Over the last five weeks, Warren and Poles have likely been assessing their options. Per league rules, teams are not allowed to interview candidates who are employed by other teams until after the regular season.

So the coaching search won’t begin in earnest until the Week 18 slate concludes. The league has various rules that govern the coaching search process. Those rules have changed significantly in recent years as the league has tried to slow the process down, not wanting the hiring process to interfere with teams in the playoffs, whose top assistants are usually interviewing for jobs.

Here’s what to know about what the Bears' coaching search will look like. NFL head of public relations Brian McCarthy laid out the rules in a social media post, but here’s a summary.

The Bears can begin requesting interviews Monday

Teams must ask for permission to interview coaches employed by other teams. Teams with a head coaching opening can begin doing so Monday.

Initial virtual interviews must be conducted before the divisional round of the playoffs (Jan. 18).

If a coach’s team did not make the postseason, interviews may begin three days after that coach’s season ends (Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on if his team played Saturday or Sunday).

If a coach has a first-round bye, interviews may begin three days after his Week 18 game but must conclude before the wild card games.

If a coach is participating in the wild card round, virtual interviews can begin three days after that coach’s wild card game and must be conducted before the divisional round games.

Navigating the divisional round and the Super Bowl

On the Monday after the divisional round (Jan. 20), teams can begin in-person second interviews with coaches whose season is over.

If, at this point, a team wants to schedule an initial interview with a candidate who is participating in a conference championship game, an initial interview is prohibited until that candidate’s season is over. In other words, the NFL wants coaches participating in the conference championship games to be focused on the playoffs, rather than a job interview.

Such coaches cannot have second interviews until after the conference championship games (Jan. 27).

During the bye week between the conference championship games and Super Bowl week (Jan. 27 to Feb. 2), teams may hold second interviews either in-person or virtually with coaching candidates who are participating in the Super Bowl. Beginning on Feb. 2, contact with such coaches must end until the Monday after the Super Bowl (Feb. 10).

The Rooney Rule

Originally established in 2003, the NFL’s Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two external candidates who are either a person of color or a woman. Virtual interviews do not satisfy the requirement; these must be in person.

For the Bears, interviewing interim head coach Thomas Brown will not count toward the Rooney Rule because Brown is not an external candidate.

Finalizing a deal

No contract can be signed and no agreement can be made until a coaching candidate’s season is over. In other words, coaches participating in the Super Bowl cannot agree to become a head coach with another team until after the Super Bowl.

Breaking any of these rules does have consequences.

The Arizona Cardinals were penalized for tampering after their general manager had a phone conversation with Jonathan Gannon during a no-contact period the week before the conference championship games nearly two years ago. Gannon, then the Eagles defensive coordinator, eventually did become the Cardinals head coach after helping Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals self-reported the incident and as punishment they were forced to swap 2023 draft picks with the Eagles, giving the Eagles the 66th overall pick.

Ben Johnson’s timeline

So for example, if the Bears want to interview Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the initial interview must take place prior to the divisional round (the exact date depends on if the Lions earn the first-round bye).

A second interview (which could be in person or virtual) cannot occur until either the Lions lose in the playoffs or during the bye week before Super Bowl week.

If the Bears were to zero in on Johnson and the Lions make the Super Bowl, a hiring wouldn’t happen until the week after the Super Bowl.