As the Chicago Bears prepare for their head coaching search we continue to profile possible candidates. Next up is Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
After the Chicago Bears suffered an embarrassing blowout loss to the struggling San Francisco 49ers in Week 14, we have more evidence on the importance of having the proper head coach leading the team. This team has a roster with good players yet they are playing as if they have the least amount of talent in the NFL.
Five plays into the game against the 49ers the Chicago Bears were down 7-0. It only got worse from there. The defense kept giving up big plays of over 20 yards and had no answer for San Francisco tight end George Kittle, who had six catches for 151 yards.
The offense once again struggled to move the ball in the first half. This time it had its worst showing, recording a paltry two yards of offense. Just as was the case in previous games, the offense did wake up in the second half. However, the game was already lost by the time the unit woke up.
It was a rough start to the Thomas Brown era. He went from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to now head coach. Quarterback Caleb Williams was blunt in his assessment.
We got our ass kicked today. There’s no way around it. I think at one point they had 240-something and we had four total yards. Regardless of how we feel, regardless of all of that, we got it handed to us.
The Bears had gone through three consecutive games in which they had an opportunity to win the game down the stretch but failed to do so. That happened against all of their NFC North foes, who are also three of the top teams in the NFC this season. Things just collapsed quickly against the Niners and never improved.
The Chicago Bears need a head coach who could get the team ready to go as soon as the opening whistle is blown. The Bears cannot afford to continue to sleepwalk their way through half a game then suddenly expect to win with an explosion in the other half.
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The team continues to prepare its head coaching job. There are a wide variety of possible candidates. Despite having a questionable front office, the Chicago Bears job is still attractive. Through the struggles, quarterback Caleb Williams is showing that he is the right leader on the field.
The Bears also have good receiving weapons with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett. D’Andre Swift could be a great asset in the right system. Additionally, in spite of a horrible game, the defense is still a very good one.
A fix in the trenches, both offensive and defensive lines, will give the Bears a big step forward in improvement. The team has been crushed in the trenches this season and it makes doing anything else difficult to accomplish. The right head coach could put everything together and help the team make a big leap in 2025.
As the Chicago Bears continue to prepare for their search, we have a series profiling the possible candidates. We already profiled some. You can click on the names to see the profiles. The previous profiles are Brian Flores, Jesse Minter, Kellen Moore, and Joe Brady.
Our latest profile is Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Greg Roman Profile
Age: 52
coaching Experience: Carolina Panthers (Multiple positions) 1995-2001; Houston Texans (Multiple positions) 2002-2005; Baltimore Ravens Assistant OL Coach 2006-2007; San Francisco 49ers OC 2011-2014; Buffalo Bills OC 2015-2016; Baltimore Ravens TE/Assistant Head Coach 2017-2022; Los Angeles Chargers OC 2024
Head Coaching Experience? No
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Despite not having head coaching experience, Greg Roman has the most experience of all of the offensive coordinators who are in this coaching search cycle. He has coached in the league since 1995 (except for the years between 2008 and 2010 when he coached a year in high school and two at Stanford). He also has the most play-calling experience of all the candidates.
Roman has had a variety of positions on offense, including tight ends, quarterbacks, and offensive line. He even had some experience on defense as quality control coach. Also, he has worked under some quality head coaches, including Brian Billick, Jim and John Harbaugh, Rex Ryan, and George Seifert.
One of the top priorities for the Chicago Bears is the development of Williams. The team knows they may have someone who could become one of the top quarterbacks in the league. It is crucial for him to develop properly so he can utilize his full skill set.
Roman has experience working with a phenom. He worked with Lamar Jackson for the first four seasons of the two-time MVP’s career. He had a big role in his development. Jackson won his first MVP in his first full season in 2019.
Roman was quick to understand the talent he had in Jackson. He was able to convince the Ravens to overhaul the offense in favor of Jackson. That was done during their bye week. The starter was Joe Flacco and the Ravens were 4-5 at the bye.
Roman was able to tailor the offense to Jackson. Baltimore went 6-1 the rest of the way with Jackson (the lone loss was in overtime). They won the AFC North that season.
It is a testament to Roman’s abilities that he was able to quickly turn the offense around and have Jackson be in total charge. That is something that would be invaluable for Williams. There has been no real rhythm to the Chicago Bears offense. It is just one that runs plays and has no identity.
Roman can change that and give Williams and the Chicago Bears offense an identity. He could get the best out of Williams and have the offense reach heights it has never reached before.
© Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
Greg Roman can also help the running game. He has the knack for developing a strong running attack. His rushing attacks never ranked below eighth except for this season (the Chargers do not have a strong stable of running backs this season).
The Chicago Bears do not have the proper personnel to highlights Swift’s skills. He is more of a finesse player and the team has had him play a bruising type of player. They also have Roschon Johnson, a back who could blossom not only as the bruiser but as a full-fledged runner in a better system. Roman can utilize both players’ assets. That would give Williams a stronger chance of succeeding.
It would be interesting to see if the Chicago Bears interview Greg Roman. They were not interested in him becoming offensive coordinator after the firing of Luke Getsy. Part of that likely had to do with Matt Eberflus’ hesitance with having strong assistants under him.
There was speculation that Eberflus nixed the idea of having Kliff Kingsbury coming in because of his insecurities. Roman likely would not have those insecurities. He has a strong resume and would not fear hiring the best possible staff available. He could be the strong head coach the Chicago Bears players and front office desire.
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