Chicago Bears top two candidates revealed: Insider

The Chicago Bears have continued their very extensive search to replace Matt Eberflus and find the next head coach for the franchise. They have interviewed 13 candidates so far and there will likely be a few more as the search continues.

As Chicago will interview another round of candidates in the coming days, one NFL insider believes the race for the Bears head coaching job will come down to just two candidates.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz appeared on The Herd with Collin Cowherd Thursday, explaining that the Bears head coaching job is a race between two very highly regarded candidates.

“For all intents and purposes… its a two horsed race between Mike McCarthy and Ben Johnson. Now if Brian Flores (Minnesota Vikings DC) goes in and wow’s them, then he is still in that mix. but right now McCarthy and Johnson are the two leading candidates for Chicago.” Schultz said.

Are these two candidates the best options for the Chicago Bears?

The biggest concern is who would be the best head coach to lead the Bears to multiple years of success for the franchise. And another major concern is who would be able to develop Caleb Williams into the star he should be.

Williams has recently discussed what he wants in a head coach, mentioning how he prefers an offensive-minded head coach but also would like a strong-minded coach as well.

Both McCarthy and Johnson fit the criteria for these.

McCarthy has been a proven winner with a career record of 172-112-2 and is a former Super Bowl Champion. He has struggled in the playoffs recently but also led the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons. Meanwhile, Johnson has taken the NFL world by storm. Johnson is a dynamic play-caller and turned the Lions offense into a top offense in the NFL over the past three seasons, and completely revitalized Jared Goff’s career.

Which candidate makes the most sense for the Chicago Bears?

It’s tough to determine who has the best chance at winning the Bears head coaching job. McCarthy has shown interest in the New Orleans Saints and Johnson has shown interest in the Las Vegas Raiders as well.

Schultz did mention on his appearance on The Herd that the Bears should choose Johnson. His creative play-calling skills could give the Bears offense the explosiveness it needs.

However, it all comes down to the Bears front office. Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren, and George McCaskey need to get this head coaching hire correct. This will be arguably the most important hire in franchise history.