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Bears Blitz: Previewing Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks after Christmas
The Bears hope to fit a win in their fans' stockings for the holiday season. Our festive Bears Blitz crew of Anthony Herron, Lou Canellis and Cassie Carlson preview the game.
There's an ongoing belief the Chicago Bears' head coach opening is one of the most attractive openings in the NFL.
That's coming to light, according to a report.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has expressed interest in the Bears' opening. Carroll has expressed his interest in returning to coaching.
Carroll also coached USC to multiple national championships. He's one of four head coaches – Carroll, Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Jim Harbaugh – to have led teams to both a national championship and the Super Bowl.
Carroll has been an NFL coach for 18 years, spending a year with the New York Jets, three years with the New England Patriots and 14 years with the Seahawks. He has a 170-120-1 record in those 18 seasons.
He did his best work in Seattle, overseeing the emergence of quarterback Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom, starring Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.
That Legion of Boom defense was the No. 1 rated defense in the 2013 season, and led the Seahawks to a 43-8 win over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Carroll stepped down as the Seahawks' head coach after the 2023 season, and Seattle replaced him with Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
Carroll's name is one of the few that's been linked to the Bears' opening. The other is Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that Johnson is "intrigued" by the Bears' opening.
Having an interest in Carroll would fit what the Bears are looking for in a head coach. Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren outlined what the Bears are looking for in their next head coach.
"We need an individual who has extremely high standards," Warren said on Dec. 2. "Who is tough, who is demanding, who is bright, who has attention to detail, who seeks and will win championships, who creates an environment of accountability, who is creative, who is intelligent, who is a decisive decision maker, and who will represent the City of Chicago, all of our fans, this franchise, in a manner that is well deserved."
The Bears host Carroll's former team on Thursday Night Football the day after Christmas Day.