Bears Head Coach Candidate: Adam Stenavich |
With the first round of the NFL Playoffs now complete and half of the field eliminated, expect more coaches to throw their names into the hat to become head coaches. That is to be expected as this is the final week you can interview candidates until the conclusion of the Super Bowl.
The Bears have been linked to 25-plus candidates, so there is no shortage of candidates. Granted, not every candidate will get an interview, but the Bears are trying to get as many interviews as possible, which shows how seriously they are treating this head coach opening. After learning that Ben Johnson aced his interview last weekend, most fans are waiting to see if he is the person the Bears want to lead this organization. If that is the case, they can't make that hire official for a few weeks, so don't expect the interview process to stop until that point. That said, another new name has been added to the hat: Green Bay Packers OC Adam Stenavich, who is the newest Chicago Bears coaching target. The last time the Bears brought in a former Packers coach was Luke Getsy, who was the OC in Green Bay before coming to Chicago. He fell flat on his face in Chicago. Getsy was a questionable hire at the time, and for someone who came into the season without prior play-calling experience, it proved to be his undoing. Stenavich comes from a similar situation; he is the current OC but isn't the play-caller, and Matt LaFleur handles the play-calling duties for Green Bay. That has to be a concern if you're a Bears fan, knowing what happened last time they hired a coach without previous playcalling experience. It took the Bears six years to beat the Packers, which they accomplished in week 18. Beyond that, the Packers have owned the Bears over the past 30 years, turning this rivalry into one-sided dominance by one organization. Going with Chicago's thinking, if you can't beat them, why not try to poach their assistants to see if they can help you win? While a logical thought process, it's a process that hasn't worked for the Bears in the past, but that doesn't mean it can't work in the future. A former offensive lineman, Stenavich has been a part of LaFleur's staff the past few seasons, including the offensive coordinator this past year. He hasn't been linked to many, if any, HC openings, and from all accounts, the Bears are the first time to give him an interview for that position. Stenavich has been the Packers offensive coordinator since 2022, the same season that Getsy moved on to Chicago. Before getting the position, Stenavich held various positions on the Packers staff, including the Packers’ OL coach (2019-21) and run game coordinator (2021). Before getting to Green Bay, Stenavich spent time in San Francisco as the assistant offensive line coach (2017-18). He was an offensive line coach for several seasons in college, spanning four seasons between Northern Arizona and San Jose State. Although not the most diverse journey, Stenavich has bounced around enough to gain plenty of experience and has become one of those fast-rising assistants you always hear about. Even though the lack of play-calling experience is a concern, when you look at the overall success of the Packers offense and how they develop their players, Stenavich, at the very least, is worth a look to see what he is about. If this were solely a play to try and poach a coach from your rival to join your team, it would be a bad look for the Bears. However, this is one of those interview requests where you have to dive a little deeper, and the deeper you dive, the more it makes sense. As has been the case for the past five years, the Bears offensive line has been an issue, which is why Caleb Williams took an NFL-high 67 sacks this season. Looking at Jordan Love and the Packers, they have had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and have succeeded in identifying and developing quality offensive linemen, no matter where they come from. That alone is something the Bears could be looking at, as their offensive line has been a mess for years. You also have to look at the offensive numbers as a big reason why the Bears bring him in. Not only did the Packers offense rank eighth in scoring this season, but they also ranked fifth in yardage. Remember, they did that with a young quarterback in Jordan Love, who is in his second season as a starter without a true No. 1 WR option. Looking at the Bears offense, there are many similarities to the Packers offense minus the offensive line play and the RB. They have a young QB in Williams who will only get better, as well as a young WR core with a true No. 1 option in DJ Moore. As strange of an interview request as this is, there is some merit behind it, as the Bears are looking at everything as a long-term investment.
