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Troy Aikman Says He'd Be 'All in' On Bears Hypothetically Trading for Kyle Shanahan

Karl Rasmussen

Troy Aikman walks the field during the pregame warmups for the NFL game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.
Troy Aikman walks the field during the pregame warmups for the NFL game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason after parting ways with Matt Eberflus in late November. During Monday Night Football, commentator Troy Aikman boldly echoed a sentiment that's been floating around league circles, suggesting the Bears turn to San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to fill their vacancy.

Aikman indicated that trading some draft capital to bring in an established and offensive-minded head coach such as Shanahan would be the perfect move to try to build around No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, who has struggled in his rookie year in Chicago.

"There has been discussion about, 'Do you give up some picks and see if you can maybe make a deal for a guy like Kyle Shanahan?' I would be all in on that. Because he would develop a quarterback and is a hell of a head coach," Aikman declared while Chicago trailed the rival Vikings 27–6.

Aikman made clear that this idea did not originate from him, but he noted that he feels it'd be a home run hire for the Bears. Thomas Brown has been operating in an interim role for the franchise since Eberflus's departure, though it seems unlikely he'll be hired as the full-time head coach after the season. With a head coaching search set to get underway, Aikman suggested Chicago dangles some of its eight 2025 draft picks to try to secure Shanahan's services.

The Bears lost their eighth consecutive game on Monday night, falling to 4–10 on the season after failing to record a single first-half point for the third straight contest.

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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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