The Chicago Bears are nearing the end of their search for a new general manager and head coach, where there’s been no shortage of candidates for both jobs.
When you look at the head coach search specifically, there’s no home-run hire out there. But it sounds like the Bears did their due diligence when it came to all options, including potentially trading for a head coach.
According to SI’s Albert Breer, the Bears talked about trading for New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. But it was ultimately shut down by Payton himself.
“I think the Bears really did discuss the idea of trading for Sean Payton,” Breer said on the Dan Patrick Show. “Sean Payton didn’t want to go there because he had misgivings about ownership and everything else.”
The idea certainly makes sense given Payton is an established head coach with years of success. But it wouldn’t have made a lot of sense given the Bears are already strapped for draft capital with five selections this year.
Payton’s reluctance to consider a scenery change due to ownership isn’t all surprising either.
In the last 21 years, there have only been two instances when a franchise has traded for a head coach — Jon Gruden traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers and Bill Belichick traded from the Jets to the Patriots.
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