Bear Digest

Shifting Insider Focus for Bears Job Goes Between Two Names

Analysis: Reports by NFL insiders Albert Breer and Adam Schefter mention Brian Flores as potential focus in Bears' upcoming search, while NFL Network points to Ben Johnson.

Gene Chamberlain

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Bears at Soldier Field.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Bears at Soldier Field. / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
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The shifting focus on Bears head coach during the pre-interview stages have moved again.

Before it was between Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel. Now it appears to be a different picture.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer and ESPN's Adam Schefter have refocused attention again in the pre-interview portion of this Bears coaching search. This time it's on Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the former Miami Dolphins head coach who was referred to by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as "a terrible person."

Breer cited a connection from the past as college teammates at Boston College. Poles was a freshman offensive lineman there who didn't play in 2003 and Flores was a senior then playing on defense and was out of school in 2004.

Bears president Kevin Warren does have deep ties with the Vikings organization, as the executive who helped get them a new stadium. He was seen by reporters visiting in the locker room at Soldier Field with Minnesota after the November 30-27 Bears overtime loss to the Vikings.

The comment about Flores by Tagovailoa was made on the Dan Le Batard Show and he explained it.

"To put it in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning, and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right, and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, 'Dude, you are the best fit for this. You are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that.' How would that make you feel, listening to one or the other? You see what I'm saying?'"

All of this is relevant since he'd be dealing with quarterback Caleb Williams, who is going to be in his second year after a rocky rookie season.

Flores said he has learned from his past situation. 

"Obviously, there was some things that I would have done better, but I thought it was a great experience and I've really, really come out of it in positive way and excited about where I am now," Flores said on Adam Schefter's podcast. "I really learned a lot from it."

He also told Schefter he wants a head coaching job again.

"Look, there's only 32 of these jobs, so I would certainly want to be a head coach in this league again," Flores said.

As a head coach, Flores never made the playoffs. They went through a 5-11 first season in 2019, then had the Dolphins at 10-6 but not in the playoffs in 2020. They missed the playoffs with a winning record again in his last season at 9-8.

Flores' expertise is defense and his Dolphins teams were 27th, 16th and 14th in run defense and 26th, 23rd and 16th in pass defense.

As a head coach, of course, he's also in charge of the offense. His offenses were last in rushing in 2019, 22nd in 2020 and then 30th. They were 12th in passing in 2019, then 20th and 17th.

The Dolphins have been a little better since Mike McDaniel took over from Flores. He made the playoffs in his first two seasons and they are .500 this year but out of the playoffs. They also obtained Tyreek Hill as a target after Flores left, and it helped to open up the offense and benefited Tagovailoa.

With Miami, Flores had four offensive coordinators in three seasons. He fired Chad O'Shean after 2019, hired Chan Gailey for 2020 and Gailey resigned after the season, and then made George Godsey and Eric Studesville co-offensive coordinators in 2021.

Flores filed suit against the Dolphins after being fired, and also the Broncos and Giants, for racial discrimination. The suit alleged the Broncos and Giants put him through what were labeled "sham" interviews without an intent to hire him.

Obviously the Vikings defense has turned a corner under Flores' direction. They are fourth in points allowed, 16th in total defense but second in rushing defense and first in interceptions.

The 27 points scored by the Bears offense against Flores' defense were the most the Vikings have given up in the last nine games. They held the Bears to 12 in the rematch at Minneapolis.

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Johnson's offenses have trouble scoring against no one. They drop 40-something on teams without thinking about it, like Monday night with the 49ers. The Bears did hold them to 23 when Matt Eberflus was coach, though.

Talking on Tuesday morning, Pelissero labeled the Bears the front runner.

"My understanding is Ben Johnson is in a much better place in terms of thinking about what he wants in a head coaching opportunity," Pelissero said.

Alignment with the GM and the chance for sustainable success are among the key things Johnson wants, Breer has reported in the past, and Pelissero said the same.

"The job that comes up more than any other is within the division," Pelissero said. "It is wth the Chicago Bears. I am told that Ben Johnson is intrigued with that job."

The intrigue comes largely because the Bears have Caleb Williams, also a few extra draft picks including two in Round 2, and have the sixth-most available effective cap space according to Overthecap.com ($61.8 million).

The Bears can begin conducting interviews with coaches on teams who make the playoffs Jan. 8.

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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.