Joe Brady emerges for Bears as another head coaching candidate |
Following another ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, the Chicago Bears have lost eight straight games and are now 4-10 on the season. With that comes another season in which this team will be out of the playoffs and another year in which you could say this is a lost year. Given how much hype went into this season based on how the team was assembled, you can see why fans can't wait for this to be over.
Once week 18 concludes against the Green Bay Packers, the real fun can begin as the Chicago Bears will again be looking for a new head coach. You could also make the case that Ryan Poles may also be out of a job as there could be another massive front office shakeup in Halas Hall. While Poles's future is up in the air, the future of the Bears' next head coach isn't, as that is something that will be filled sooner rather than later. Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel continue to be linked to the Bears, but a new name is suddenly coming to fruition and could leave a lasting impression on Kevin Warren and the Bears organization. He goes by the name Joe Brady and is currently the OC of the Buffalo Bills. Like Johnson, Brady is one of the better offensive minds in the game, but given what we have seen from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills lately, his stock is at an all-time high. Brady has spent most of his coaching tenure with the Buffalo Bills, where he came into the league in 2017 as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints. Two seasons later, Brady went to LSU to work with the WRs and became the Tigers' passing game coordinator that season. Everyone saw how that offense panned out during his tenure there, and that performance alone is what got him back into the NFL, where he became the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. After an up-and-down year and a half with Carolina, Brady was relieved of his duties and joined the Bills in 2022, where he has been ever since. What started as the Bills quarterback in 2022 and parts of 2023 has become one of the better offensive coordinator tenures over the past year as Brady's offense is lighting up the scoreboard. Not only that, but Brady continues to work wonders with Allen at the quarterback position, and many feel like Allen is the MVP heading into week 16. Looking at what Caleb Williams brings to the table and how much firepower this offense has, Brady is a very good fit and someone who knows how to get the most out of a young quarterback. Brady joined the Bills staff after Brian Daboll bolted for New York and took several offensive coaches with him. That included QB coach Shea Tierney, who Brady initially came to replace, while Ken Dorsey was brought in to take over for Daboll. Things never worked out with Dorsey as the Bills offense never lived up to the potential, thus forcing Sean McDermott to go out and appoint Brady in the interim, who is now acting as offensive coordinator. Given how well the Bills offense has looked this season, you can see why plenty of teams will give him a look, but what makes him a fit for the Bears is his work with young and mobile QBs. Not only has Brady had success with Allen in Buffalo, but he also worked with PJ Walker during his time in Carolina, and Walker had some strong games with him calling the shots. Williams is miles better than Walker, but he isn't quite at the level Allen is at this point in his career. That can all change in the blink of an eye when you look at how many offensive weapons the Bills have and the work Brady has done not only calling plays but also working with young, gifted quarterbacks. Whoever is appointed the next Bears HC is not only going to have to turn this team around, but they are going to have the tall order of developing Williams into the franchise QB this team needs. While Brady has shown the ability to do that in the past, being an HC is entirely different, and if he doesn't hire the right staff around him, none of this will change. Expect to hear his name linked to the Bears for the next several weeks as we gear up for the postseason and the famous day known as Black Monday.
