Former NFL star Eddie George interviews for Bears head coaching job |
It was reported late last week that many feel the Chicago Bears Head Coach opening is down to two candidates, one being Mike McCarthy and the other Ben Johnson. With the Detroit Lions being eliminated from the postseason, making Johnson free to hire at any moment, it is only a matter of time until the Bears give Johnson a formal offer to become their next head coach.
However, after watching what Washington was able to do against the Lions on Saturday and watching Johnson struggling to make things work for what felt like the first time all season, some wonder if the head coaching interviews got into his head, forcing him to be less focussed than usual. Even if that is an excuse, it's not the first time coaches have mentioned that in the past, as it is hard to focus on your job when your name is being thrown out there as a possible HC, and you begin taking interviews during the postseason. Despite some anticipating that Johnson is going to get the job, the Bears are still going to conduct interviews until a decision is made. This is one of those interviews that came out of nowhere, and many fans are wondering why the team would even bring him into the interview in the first place. In case you missed it, long-time NFL RB and current Tennessee State head coach Eddie George is not only in Chicago but interviewed for the head coaching job. We have completed an interview with head coach candidate Eddie George. pic.twitter.com/0Gk6JHJvAx George is one of the most decorated football players of the 1990s and early 2000s, as he accumulated plenty of collegiate awards before arriving in the NFL. The Ohio State product won the Heisman, Walter Camp, Maxwell, and Doak Walker awards in college. He was a unanimous All-American and first-team All-Big Ten to wrap up his college career. As a pro, he was a two-time All-Pro, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and four-time Pro Bowler. George was also part of the Tennessee Titans Superbowl team that last to the St. Louis Rams when Kevin Dyson came within a yard of knocking off the Rams late in regulation. George may not have the same experience as some of these current NFL coaches who are getting interviews, but he does have head coaching experience, which some of these coordinators can't say. George has quietly built an impressive resume over the past four seasons as the Tennessee State HC. He has taken home coach of the year honors and is coming off a conference championship this past season, leading his Tigers to their first FCS playoff berth in over 20 seasons. Talk about an interview that came out of nowhere. As surprising as it is, George does have some previous history with the Chicago Bears organization, and you have to wonder if that played a part in his being given an interview. George joined the Bears staff of the 2023 OTAs as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. This program aims to put minority coaches at the forefront of earning jobs, and George could be the next in line to secure a head coach opening. The 51-year-old George hasn't had much success, but with a 24-22 record as an HC thus far, he is starting to prove his worth among the coaching ranks. After posting back-to-back losing seasons to begin his coaching career, George bounced back with a 6-5 record in 2023 before breaking out in a big way this past season. After going 9-3 in the regular season, including a 6-2 record in the Ohio Valley Conference, George and the Tigers claimed a share of the conference title and were invited to the 2024 FCS playoffs. Although his playoff debut was short-lived, falling to 14 seed Montana 41-27, George still accomplished something that not many before him did before him. That is worth noting when it comes to bringing him in, as the Bears must see something in him that they feel he can bring to the table. Regardless of whether he gets the job or not, George will still have his job waiting for him at Tennessee State as he will continue to build up his resume.
