The Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs was full of excitement and a few surprises. The sixth-seeded Washington Commanders romped past the 15-2 Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills survived a late surge from Baltimore to advance to the AFC Championship game.
What does this mean for the Chicaog Bears' long-winded head coaching search?
if you've been keeping track of everyone who has interviewed for the job, it means that the next head coach of the Chicago Bears is almost certainly available to hire starting immediately.
The coaches considered the top candidates for the job, in no particular order, are Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Mike McCarthy, and Todd Monken. McCarthy is a free agent and the others were all eliminated from the playoffs this weekend. The Bears could of course still go another route, but the odds say that it's likely to be one of these four.
After much debate, the Bears head coaching search seems to be drawing to a merciful end.
Ben Johnson is still the most sought-after head coaching candidate, but a recent media blitz of speculation that Johnson may prefer Las Vegas has Bears fans already looking around for the second-best candidate, and many assume that to be McCarthy.
But these are not the only two coaches who have taken interviews and meet Chicago's criteria for their next head coach. Glenn may be a defensive coordinator, but he's highly respected in his locker room and did a tremendous job with his unit despite missing half of his starters.
As for Monken, his arrival in Baltimore proved to be a godsend for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has had two of his best seasons under Monken. He may not be as much of a household name, but his resume speaks for itself.
Any of these four would make a fine hire for the Chicago Bears. Now that they're all available, don't be surprised to see that announcement come later this week.
