Chicago Bears fans are torn as to whether Ryan Poles should hire an up-and-coming offensive coordinator or an experienced head coach to be the next leader of his franchise.
While many are debating the merits of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson versus former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, the best option for a proven coach is former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll.
The obvious drawback to Carroll is his age. If the Bears hire him, he would again become the oldest head coach in the NFL at 73, and it is fair to question exactly how long he'll want to remain in the role as he ages.
But youth is about where Vrabel's advantages over Carroll end. The ex-Seahawks coach boasts a more successful coaching record, a stronger coaching tree and a better fit with the Bears organization.
Not only does Carroll have a better overall win-loss record than Vrabel, but he did so in a more difficult division and significantly more postseason success.
His two trips to the Super Bowl are the obvious headlines at the top of his résumé, but he made the playoffs in 10 of his 14 seasons in Seattle and only finished below .500 twice.
That all came in an NFC West that saw the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams both make multiple trips to the Super Bowl during Carroll's Seahawks tenure.
Vrabel's Titans had a spectacular run to the AFC Championship Game in 2019, but his Tennessee teams never won another playoff game under his leadership. They won the AFC South and made the postseason the following two years but lost their first playoff matchups each time.
His inability to replace offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with a quality play-caller, along with an aging quarterback and a power struggle with management led to his eventual dismissal.
Carroll was far from perfect in his coordinator hires, but his offenses consistently ranked in the top 10 in scoring, and he helped identify diamond-in-the-rough quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Geno Smith.
NFL head coaches like Dan Quinn, Dave Canales, Robert Saleh and Gus Bradley coached under Carroll in Seattle before getting opportunities to run their own teams. He identified and developed coaches, in addition to players.
That can help ease concerns about a succession plan when he decides to retire for good.
He's no perfect head coach candidate, but he has a proven track record of establishing a winning culture and could cure a lot of what ails Chicago right now.
He doesn't have the no-nonsense bravado that Vrabel offers, But that's never been the style of coach Bears ownership has prefered.
More importantly, he's a proven winner across multiple quarterbacks, coaches and teams. If he were 10 or even 5 years younger, he would be the obvious choice.
Even at age 73, he should be the name Chicago debates against Ben Johnson, not Vrabel.
