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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Zeglinski

Caleb Williams may have just inadvertently jinxed the Bears’ head coach search

Caleb Williams knows what’s at stake.

For the 2024 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick to reach his potential, the next Chicago Bears coach will probably have to be an offensively-minded person. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The future of the Bears’ franchise should be centered around developing Williams and giving him a team he can lead to perennial Super Bowl contention. Because he does, indeed, have that ability.

Williams isn’t shying away from letting the Bears know what he wants in their search, either.

During the latest episode of the St. Brown Podcast, Williams described the ideal traits he wants to see in the next Bears coach. Unsurprisingly, Williams rattled off cliches like “strong-minded” and “leader of men” before “selfishly” saying he wants someone with an offensive background who can have sustained success with him for years.

All of this is well and good, and Williams is right to assert it. But given some of the names that have popped up in the Bears’ coaching so far, he better be careful what he wishes for:

On the one hand, the Bears could go out and fulfill Williams’ wishes with an absolute home run hire. Take the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, Ben Johnson, for example. Provided Tom Brady doesn’t get to Johnson first, Williams has already clearly been holding out hope someone like Johnson is his next coach. A recent prank phone call between Williams and a fake Johnson says as much.

On the other, we’re talking about the Bears, dearest readers.

They do not have exactly have a reputation for making smart or even obvious decisions. This is a franchise that once hired Marc Trestman out of the Canadian Football League. It gave John Fox a blank check to share a 1,000-yard stare on the sideline every Sunday at the helm of a listless team. It doubled down on Matt Eberflus after it was already clear he was an overmatched doofus with job security constructed on a house of cards consisting of corny platitudes.

Johnson would be the best pick for Williams’ future.

He fits the young quarterback’s criteria to a tee. And the Bears probably want to lean offense, regardless. But rather than hit the home run, this organization will probably convince itself to hire someone else offensively-minded because at least it checked that box, you know? It will go for the bunt. You know, someone with a reputation. Someone who has “proven” themselves.

Let me introduce you to 2025 Chicago Bears head coach, Mike McCarthy.

Caleb, if you read this, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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