The Chicago Bears have sent several requests to interview coaches following the end of their season on Sunday. The Bears sent a formal request to interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson among several other coordinators around the league.
Chicago will interview former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday. With the New England Patriots already having completed their obligations with the Rooney Rule, the Bears will have to act quickly on Vrabel following the interview if they want to hire him.
The Bears were in limbo on the status of Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy’s contract is set to expire, but the Cowboys hold his rights until Jan. 14. On Monday, Chicago requested permission from Dallas to interview McCarthy.
The Bears had not received a response from the Cowboys until later in the day on Tuesday.
Dallas Cowboys deny the Chicago Bears
Per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys denied the Bears request.
“ESPN Source: The Dallas Cowboys denied permission to the Chicago Bears to interview their head coach Mike McCarthy,” posted Schefter on X.
ESPN Source: The Dallas Cowboys denied permission to the Chicago Bears to interview their head coach Mike McCarthy.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2025
Jones wants to control his leverage on McCarthy
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is trying to hold all the leverage he can on McCarthy’s camp. It appears Vrabel will be hired before Jan. 14. Many other candidates are still coaching in the playoffs, and can’t even begin in-person until later in January or February.
The Bears will have to wait one week to start the process with McCarthy, setting McCarthy back even further than candidates like Johnson, who are allowed to interview virtually this week.
For More Chicago Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
