There are plenty of names on any list of Chicago Bears head coaching candidates, but should the team explore a trade for a proven commodity?
In the eyes of NBC Sports’ Mike Florio, the answer is yes, and the team should swing for the fences.
In a piece for Pro Football Talk, Florio suggested that the Bears should contact the San Francisco 49ers about the potential availability of head coach Kyle Shanahan, who has developed a strong reputation as an offensive guru and who, in the eyes of Florio, could be willing to consider “a clean slate” in another situation.
Shanahan has appeared in two Super Bowls with the 49ers, and while Florio did caution in the piece that “there’s no specific reason to think there’s an opening” in such negotiations, he said that after it was published he received a call from an NFL head coach wondering why they weren’t mentioned in the story.
“Here’s the feedback I got: after I posted at PFT that the Bears should call the 49ers about Kyle Shanahan, (or) the Ravens about John Harbaugh, (or) the Dolphins about Mike McDaniel, because it feels in each of those circumstances you get lucky, you throw the sinker into the water and get a bite, I heard from another coach that asked ‘why didn’t you mention me on that list?’ It proves to me there’s merit to this idea,” he said during an interview on 670 the Score in Chicago.
After @ProFootballTalk floated the idea of the Bears trading for a head coach and cited specific names, he had a different coach contact him to ask, "Why didn't you mention me on that list?"
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) December 4, 2024
"It proves to me there's merit to the idea," Florio says.
More: https://t.co/DtsucIW6ZI pic.twitter.com/q0KAitPg4W
The idea of trading for a head coach is rare but not unprecedented. Just last season, the Denver Broncos acquired Sean Payton’s contractual rights from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
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The most high-profile example of somewhat-recent vintage was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trading for Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. The swap cost the Buccaneers two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million, but ultimately yielded Tampa Bay its first-ever Super Bowl championship the following season.
The New England Patriots acquired Bill Belichick in a trade with the New York Jets, and the Buccaneers also traded for Bruce Arians’ contractual rights in a deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.
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Shanahan is in his eighth season with the 49ers. He’s appeared in the Super Bowl twice, including last season, but is having a down year in comparison to previous seasons, with the team at 5-7 and dealing with a slew of high-profile injuries.
His offense is ranked seventh in the NFL in offensive yardage and fourth in the NFL in yard differential.
The Bears will get a first-hand look at Shanahan this weekend as they take on the 49ers in the Bay Area on Sunday afternoon.
