The Chicago Bears have brought in another intriguing candidate to interview for their open offensive coordinator position late on Monday.

According to Peter Schrager, the Bears interviewed former Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator Greg Roman for their vacant position.

Roman took the 2023 season off from coaching after stepping down as the Ravens' offensive coordinator following the 2022 season.

Who is Greg Roman?

Roman has 25 seasons of NFL coaching experience including 10 seasons serving as the offensive coordinator for three different NFL franchises. During his 10 seasons as an offensive coordinator, Roman's units reached six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.

Roman was first hired as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and spent the next four seasons alongside Jim Harbaugh. Roman worked closely with dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl berth in 2012. The 49ers offense averaged 139.3 rushing yards per game from 2011-2014, the second-most in the league in that span.

After Harbaugh left for the University of Michigan following the 2014 season, Roman joined the Buffalo Bills from 2015-2016 under head coach Rex Ryan and Anthony Lynn. The Bills led the NFL with 158.2 rushing yards per game during those two seasons combined.

In 2017, Roman joined John Harbaugh's staff with the Ravens. The Ravens went 9-7 in 2017 with Joe Flacco at quarterback before drafting Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. From 2018-2022, the Ravens offense scored the 5th-most point per game (25.9) and led the NFL with 170.8 rushing yards per game.

During the 2019 season, the Ravens clinched the number one seed in the AFC for the first time in franchise history and Jackson was named the second unanimous MVP in NFL history. Jackson broke Michael Vick's single-season record for a quarterback with 1,206 rushing yards while joining Steve Young as the only quarterbacks to lead the league in passing touchdowns and quarterback rushing yards at the same time.

Roman's final year in Baltimore in 2022, the Ravens ended their season with a disappointing 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round. During the regular season, the Ravens still rushed for 160.0 yards per game, the second-highest mark in the league behind the Bears (177.3).

Interview Observations

Roman's interview with the Bears signals that general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus are doing their due diligence on diverse candidates with their quarterback position currently uncertain for the 2024 season.

Roman would be the ideal candidate to run an offense led by quarterback Justin Fields with the Bears. He's had experience working alongside three notable dual-threat quarterbacks in his career in Kaepernick, Tyrod Taylor, and Jackson. All three put up career-high seasons under Roman's offense.

If the Bears decide to keep Fields as the team's starting quarterback for the 2024 season and beyond, Roman is the best candidate to consider to be the Bears next offensive coordinator and play-caller. He also brings incredible experience to a coaching staff that desperately needs it going forward.

Bears offensive coordinator candidates for 2024

Who could be calling plays in Chicago next season?