Former Chicago Bears' standout proposes making a return to the NFL but not in the way you might think and it would honestly be a perfect fit for him
The Chicago Bears are deep in their extensive coaching search and will soon begin the second round of interviews in the coming days.The Bears made it clear that no stone would be left unturned in the search for the team's next head coach, but for the most part, the list is as you might expect.Chicago […]
The Chicago Bears are deep in their extensive coaching search and will soon begin the second round of interviews in the coming days.
The Bears made it clear that no stone would be left unturned in the search for the team's next head coach, but for the most part, the list is as you might expect.
Chicago has had interest in various different candidates including top coordinators such as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, former coaches such as Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera, and college names such as Marcus Freeman and Matt Campbell.
Overall, the Bears have reached out to, or interviewed, candidates from all three of the usual avenues and haven't really turned over a stone that many would find surprising in the search so far. But, there's one stone that's shining right at the team waiting to be flipped over after some recent comments.
While on ESPN’s Waddle & Silvy show earlier this week, former NFL tight end and current FOX Sports color commentator Greg Olsen offered some intriguing comments for the Bears, and other NFL teams to chew on.
“Every year head coaches, coordinators, position coaches get turned around this NFL cycle and everyone's hired off experience," Olsen explained. "Then how come all these experienced guys end up having to find new jobs, right? If experience was everything, no one would ever get fired because all these guys have been doing this for a long time…"
"I think sometimes the NFL and these teams need to take a step back and say, okay, there some fresh ideas out there… I've had a really unique perspective from this chair about what goes into winning in the NFL, combined with 14 years of playing and being in locker rooms and being on teams in the Super Bowl and being on teams that didn't make the playoffs and understanding why certain teams took different paths.”
To me, that kind of sounds like Olsen is throwing his hat into the head coaching cycle or even a front office role down the line. Olsen even added that there's no question making a career move like that is on his mind.
Olsen went on to mention that he would "put my experience in NFL circles up there with anybody over the last 20 years." Olsen played 14 years in the NFL, including four seasons with the Bears, and has gotten a wider view of the game and how good/bad teams operate by working with FOX.
Now, does that mean the Bears should stop what they're doing and bring Olsen in for an interview immediately, no. Although I do agree that he would make for a fantastic candidate for any team either as a head coach or as a head of football operations.
I totally could see Olsen make the change and become the NFL's version of JJ Reddick in the NBA. A former player who played for multiple teams at different levels of success, retired to become a media voice, only to return to the game as a coach.
The other thing that could prompt Olsen to make that kind of move is the fact that he's been demoted at FOX in favor of former quarterback Tom Brady. When FOX hired Brady in 2022, he joined the booth and took Olsen's place as the No. 1 analyst during the 2024 season.
Earlier on Friday, Brady's agent Don Yee said that Brady intends to remain at FOX throughout his entire 10-year contract while also serving as the Las Vegas Raiders' minority owner, a role he's starting to have a major voice in.
If Olsen is over the broadcasting thing after all that's happened since taking the job, a position in which he's excelled at a high level in the industry, and wants to return to help a team find success, he'd be the perfect man for any job. We'll see if that's something that actually peaks his interest and if teams would be willing to call him up.
NFL Insider believes the Bears’ head coaching search is a ‘two-horse race’ but another top candidate could gain some ground over the weekend
The search is starting to heat up.
