The Chicago Bears are interviewing John Fox for their head coach opening after his split with the Broncos and he joins Dan Quinn, Mike Shanahan, Teryl Austin and Doug Marrone as potential candidates and this comes as a Jay Cutler trade still could be an option for new GM Ryan Pace, as teams like the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills or NY Jets could be interested in making a move.
The Bears brought in Ryan Pace at general manager and now he is searching for a new head coach to replace Marc Trestman after Pace replaced Phil Emery. According to ESPN.com, John Fox will interview with the Bears for the head coach position and it comes after he parted ways with the Denver Broncos. Fox is a strong option for the team, while names like Dan Quinn, Mike Shanahan, Teryl Austin and Doug Marrone have also come up in connection with the job.
Quinn is with the Seattle Seahawks and the fact that his team could be into the Super Bowl could force the Bears to look elsewhere. Quinn is a hot candidate, but teams may not want to wait a few more weeks to hire a head coach and that is what happened to the Jets. The team was interested in Quinn and wanted to hire him, but they went with Todd Bowles instead of waiting for Quinn. The Bears could be in the same boat and now that Fox is unexpectedly on the market, he could be the pick.
Fox is coming off of a strong run with the Broncos, winning four straight AFC West title and making it to the Super Bowl once. Fox previously took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and ESPN.com reports that Pace has some connections to Fox and that could give him the edge. Fox previously worked for the NY Giants and he has 119 wins in his career as head coach, but just an 8-6 playoff record. Fox and Pace could end up keeping Cutler if Fox is brought in, while Shanahan also would likely want to keep Cutler after working with him in Denver.
ESPN Chicago's Jon Greenberg writes that the head coach search and hiring process could be affected by the Cutler situation, as Pace likely will have to gauge whether his coaching hire will want the QB or not. Pace has not tipped his hand either way, but when he was hired it was said that he would have the power to decide what happens with Cutler.
Cutler was benched in Week 16 and his future is up in the air after being the highest paid player in football last season. Cutler signed a massive extension with the team before last season and while he actually had one of the best statistical seasons in his career, he also led the league in turnovers and interceptions.
Cutler threw for over 3800 yards and 28 touchdowns, he also had 18 picks and now could be a target for teams in trades. The Washington Redskins, NY Jets, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills could be options along with the Titans, as Cutler played his college ball at Vanderbilt. Pace now has the chance to put his stamp on the team with a new head coach and whatever happens with Cutler.