Bear Digest

Latest Bears Rumor Links to Another Defensive Leader Type

It's easy to wonder if the Bears are falling behind in the search for a new coach when other teams are already interviewing, as a surprise name pops up linked with Chicago's research.

Gene Chamberlain

Former Notre Dame defensive end Anthony Weaver is the latest name to turn up in Bears coaching rumors.
Former Notre Dame defensive end Anthony Weaver is the latest name to turn up in Bears coaching rumors. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The homework being done by the Bears in their coaching search at this time has finally popped up with a new name.

Until now, it's been the same old, same old. Everyone knows the popular names among the coaching needy teams, like Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, Mike Vrabel, Brian Flores or Joe Brady.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini turned up a possible candidate they're researching who has gone through largely unmentioned and that's Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

"Players have a lot of respect for the 43-year-old Weaver, describing him as “high energy,” “emotionally intelligent,” and someone who holds players accountable," Russini wrote.

Dolphins training camp video: Courtesy Alain Poupart Miami Dolphins On SI

This is a name following in the "leader of men" category, although it's not exactly easy to see how someone like Weaver fits the Bears' need for a coach who can be a developer of quarterback Caleb Williams.

Weaver has been coaching in the NFL since 2012 after an NFL career from 2002-2008 first with the Baltimore Ravens and then the Houston Texans.

A former Notre Dame defensive end, Weaver has only been a defensive coordinator this season with the Dolphins and in 2020 with the Texans.

BEARS AND PACKERS: WHO WINS AND WHY

This year's Dolphins are third on defense and eighth in points allowed. They're 24th in takeaways. They rank ninth both stopping the run and the pass.

Weaver didn't have as much success four ears earlier with Houston when Bill O'Brien was head coach and was fired four games into the season during a 4-12 campaign. Romeo Crennel finished the last 12 games as interim head coach. Weaver's defense was 30th overall, last against the run and 24th against the pass.

Alain Poupart of Miami Dolphins on SI reported Weaver has addressed the topic of being a candidate in the near future for some teams.

"It's funny because I spoke to my agent last night and he's like, 'What are you doing to prepare for those ops?' " Weaver told reportes Thursday. "I'm like absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Yeah, I'm so focused right now. I'm just controlling what we control, beating the Jets and praying that we get the help we need in order to continue this run. Because I think if we can get in, if we're blessed with that opportunity, we can make some noise."

His NFL journey started with the Jets in 2012 as an assistant defensive line coach, then in 2013 he coached Buffalo's defensive line before going to Cleveland in the same position for two seasons. He was Texans defensive line coach from 2016-2019 before getting the chance to be defensive coordinator.

After that 2020 season, the Ravens hired him as a D-line coach and also with the title of defensive run game coordinator. They upgraded that to associated head coach for two years before he went to the Dolphins.

Besides his approach toward offense, it would be interesting to know what kind of a defensive approach he would bring because his Dolphins defense plays a 4-3 and his Texans defense played 3-4.

While all of the names being mentioned in reports so far have been only tied to them in terms of interest one way or mutually in interviewing, none have said they actually are conducting an interview due to the restrictions until the season ends.

What is surprising is one of the "leader of men" types most prominent in the field of potential candidates is available to talk and the Bears haven't moved yet to bring him in for an interview.

It's easy to wonder if the Bears are being aggressive enough in this search when a team like the Jets has already got the jump on the process.

The Jets are being very open and aggressive with their hunt so far as they have already interviewed Vrabel and former Bears defensive coordinator/Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera. And the team announced the Vrabel interview. They also already interviewed their own interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.