Bears predicted to hire this defensive-minded head coach by ESPN

Expectations are that the Chicago Bears will hire an offensive-minded head coach this offseason, but ESPN offered a prediction with a different strategy.
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Most of the focus around the Chicago Bears head coaching search has been on offensive coordinators and candidates who can develop quarterback Caleb Williams. But there's a chance that general manager Ryan Poles will go in a different direction and focus his attention on a no-nonsense leader from the defensive side of the ball.

In ESPN's recent coach hiring predictions, the Bears do just that and tab Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores as their next head coach.

"There is a lot of guesswork here," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. "The Bears' list of candidates is massive, and Flores still hasn't been allowed to interview with Chicago because Minnesota made the playoffs. But this is the name that comes up the most when I ask people around the NFL to make a prediction. Flores led the No. 5 scoring defense (19.5 points allowed per game), and the Vikings finished tied for fourth in sacks with 49."

Did you catch that nugget of intel? That Flores' name is the one that comes up the most when Graziano asks around the league for Bears coaching predictions?

Yeah, that's worth noting. It doesn't mean Flores has an inside track, but the narrative that Chicago will go on the offensive -- literally -- with their next head coach might be a bit misguided. It's a kneejerk reaction to a rocky first season for Caleb Williams.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines
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The elephant in the room, however, is how badly Flores' relationship with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa soured during their time together. It's hard to imagine a team with a prized young passer like the Bears have in Williams feeling confident that Flores is perfect for his development.

"I don't care who you are," Tagovailoa said of his relationship with Flores. "You could be the president of the United States, you have a terrible person telling you things that you don't want to hear or probably shouldn't be hearing, you're going to start believing that about yourself. And so that's what sort of ended up happening. It was, it's basically been, what, two years of training that out of not just me but a couple of guys as well that have been here my rookie year all the way until now."

A terrible person? Yikes.

Ryan Fitzpatrick offered his red flag warnings about Flores recently, too.

So, yeah, when two quarterbacks with varying levels of NFL experience and ability both have issues with Flores? Maybe it would be wise for Poles to look the other way.

Or, maybe he won't. Poles and Flores were teammates at Boston College. Those old locker room stories can go a long way in an interview, especially for a team that seems as disorganized as the Chicago Bears right now.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.