Bears land surprise ranking in latest breakdown of NFL head coach openings

There's been a lot of chatter about the Chicago Bears dysfunction in recent weeks, but their head coaching vacancy remains one of the more desired jobs in the NFL.

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The Chicago Bears aren't off to a great start in their search for a new head coach this offseason. Perhaps it's because their list of candidates continues to grow, and it's getting embarrassing. By last count, 15 candidates have been contacted for interviews.

Then came Tuesday's press conference. Chairman George McCaskey inexplicably said he didn't believe alignment between a general manager and head coach is a key factor in the hiring process, which caused Bears fans to flinch in fear that top candidates like Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel would say, 'Thanks, but no thanks.'

There's also general manager Ryan Poles, who, despite being universally praised as a really good guy, has made some questionable personnel decisions. Will someone like Johnson hitch his wagon to a GM whom we don't know if the Bears are committed to long-term?

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Still, there's no denying how attractive the Bears' coaching gig is. The roster was gifted Caleb Williams, a generational quarterback prospect, in the 2024 NFL Draft. The skill players Williams will play alongside have incredible potential. And the defense, if a few pieces are added to the pass rush, has a chance to become a top-10 unit again.

As a result, CBS Sports ranked the Chicago Bears head coaching job as the best opening in 2025.

As for the ideal candidates? The same two names were mentiined: Johnson and Vrabel.

"Not only would they pull a key cog (Johnson) away from a division rival, but the Bears would get one of the smartest offensive minds in the NFL in their building to work with Williams," Will Brinson wrote. "I know Vrabel's offenses in Tennessee weren't sexy most of the time, but he hired multiple future head coaches as OC (Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith) and would bring a seriousness and experience to the Bears head coaching position that's been lacking since Lovie Smith." 

Vrabel will interview with the Bears on Thursday. Johnson has accepted an interview with Chicago as well, which is noteworthy, considering he's only interviewing with teams he's interested in coaching.

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