What’s next for Bears after firing Luke Getsy, retaining Matt Eberflus?

On this episode of the Under Center podcast, Kenneth Davis, Josh Schrock, and Alex Shapiro recap the changes the Bears made to their coaching staff on Wednesday. Was firing Luke Getsy the right move? What does the move mean for Justin Fields? Is keeping Matt Eberflus the right decision? They discuss how attractive the offensive coordinator position is around the league (14:00). Later, they review the end-of-season press conference and what they heard from Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren (18:54). Finally, the guys which coaches around the league the Bears should consider to be their new offensive coordinator (37:40).

#ChicagoBears #LukeGetsy #MattEberflus

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What’s next for Bears after firing Luke Getsy, retaining Matt Eberflus?
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Welcome to the other Center podcast presented by St zavier University always fortunate enough to be joined by our Bears Insider Josh shck follow him at Shore andorea you know my man our Bears beat reporter Alex chapiro please follow him at Alex chapiro NBCS sir fliply is running the show and we are broadcasting

Virtually from the NBC podcast Studios um what a day what a day referring to yesterday Wednesday the 10th this is the 11th Thursday um we there were some some some things going on in Hollis Hall all right some stuff that we saw coming down the pike uh offensive coordinator Luke

Gsy was let go quarterback coach Andrew janoko and wide receiver coach Ty Tolbert along with running back coach Omar young and assistant tight ends coach Tim zets were all let go yesterday gentlemen let let me get your thoughts Josh kick it off uh I mean the thoughts on the

Offensive stat St is it was obviously the right move I think it was something we all saw coming I think Luke gaty um and Justin Fields specifically were never a really good match and I think what gsy kind of showed himself is someone who is probably really good at

Teaching the one system he knows but was not good at adapting to the Personnel that he had um you know I thought he had some you know a couple of nice moments but they were always followed by confusing game plans confusing play calls um he didn’t get the best out of

Darno Mooney um really just a failure to adapt and evolve uh the explosive plays never came uh and and clearly I think we heard from players all year that they didn’t feel especially the Bears Playmakers didn’t feel that he trusted them fully to just go make plays that

They got too cute they didn’t have an identity um and I really thought that DJ Moore after the Green Bay game was kind of the final dagger when he said you know do we want to be a run team or do we want to be an explosive team that

Relies on our Playmakers I think the Bears really felt they didn’t have a sense of what the direction of the offense was from week to week and I think that graded um on them and it was it was the right move for Matty to make uh we can get into the decision to

Retain matus later but as far as luk gety uh they had no they had no choice it was it the results were never there yeah something had to change on that offense I mean we just saw it throughout the entire season as Josh said uh it was

Just too inconsistent and I don’t think that there was a strong enough argument to run it back all the way something needed to change um and gsy is kind of a Fall Guy you know in some ways something needed to change he’s the guy who goes I

Expect there will be more changes I kind of right now my gut says the Bears will probably move on from Justin Fields as well and and reset that offense um but yeah I mean Josh touched on it a lot some moments that I just want to highlight that were particularly heads

Scratching for me week two I mean right out the gate when the game’s on the line and the Bears are backed up and they call Three screen passes on three consecutive snaps and it results in a pick six that’s essentially the back breaker and you know the Bucks Defenders

After the game were saying like yeah we knew exactly what was coming that was not a hard play for us to diagnose and and J things like that things like we see these moments where Justin Fields is throwing so many great deep balls and then the Deep balls go away the 20

Passes near the line of scrimmage against the Vikings there’s just no second option there’s no plan B when plan a wasn’t working too too many times too many times so luky was a great guy you know I I don’t want to like totally bury him and it’s tough I I’ve had

People in my mention are texting me are you happy that Luke getsy is fired no of course not I’m not happy um but but yeah I the Bears needed to make a change and this is the change this is the first change that they’ve really made Alex hints it at it already Josh

How do you think if this does affect Justin Field’s future in Chicago how will this affect Justin Field’s future as far as him having to learn if he’s retained another offense does it make it more likely that they may look to move off of Justin in your

Opinion yeah I think it does I mean I think overall the thing that really gets me about the coordinator thing is I think you’re going to have a hard time attracting quality candidates to a place where the head coach is definitely on a win now track in 2024 Ryan plls can say

That might not be the case but he also said that they bring in a rookie quarterback he doesn’t expect the production to drop he expect it to rise so that tells me they want to win uh it’s going to be really hard to sell quality candidates who are going to have

A lot of options on hey come here and work for this guy whose seat is pretty warm and you might only be here for 10 months but the selling point is you get to work with the number one overall pick a guy you can kind of tie yourself to I

Don’t think Justin Fields is really the selling point Mato yesterday saying you know Justin’s really smart he can learn a third system in four years that’s incredibly that’s an incredibly tough ask for a guy who has 38 career starts is still trying to find his way um

Honestly I think either way the Bears dealt whoever the quarterback is a really really poor hand with the decisions they made yesterday in firing Luke ety and retaining mat Bru I thought it was I thought it was a chance for Ryan poles to really to really dream big you

Know I thought that bringing in Kevin Warren finally getting rid of Ted Phillips was the time the Bears grew up you know they talk about a big picture methodical approach um and I think Ryan P is a really analytical guy I think he’s really smart and I thought he would

Be able to look at you know the seven a nine record winning five of the last seven and really see it for what it was I think you can look at the the opponents you can look at he the defense performed well against Brian Hoyer against Taylor hinei against Bryce young

Against guys who got tossed in a trash can and rolled out of town but they got diced up by Joe flacko they got picked apart by Baker Mayfield Jordan love I mean Jay they miss Jaylen Johnson they missed one guy and Jordan love just ripped them to shreds I mean this thing

Ryan Paul said it’s not a house of cards it feels really thin right now it feels like they’re an injury or two on defense away from things kind of crumbling and I think when you have the number one pick you had an option to just clear it clear

The entire deck and finally get this organization fully aligned GM coach OC quarterback all in the same track and instead they did the same thing that they always do they did the same thing right they owe continuity I just I’ve never seen well I’ve never seen an organization Pat

Themselves on the back for surviving the adversity they themselves created like like like Allan Williams and David Walker were just thrust upon them and mat didn’t hire them oh no man we did we did a great job surviving the problems that we created and we are really happy

That you know that this guy’s back and hey we’d love to go to the ple and we promise you things will be better man I thought it was just a complete and utter whiff and I think no matter who it is if it’s Justin or Caleb Williams I think

Whoever the quarterback is is once again just gonna be swimming up stream next year I think the only way that this works kind of speaking to Josh’s whole Spiel that he just gave I think the only way that this works is if M bro is here

For a minimum of two years I think you cannot have matd bfo on a hot seat because then as Josh is saying you’re just you’re you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again so to me I don’t know what matd rl’s contract situation is I don’t know what the

Temperature is on his seat in in their eyes but in my opinion if I was there and I made a move like this to keep Flo but reset the offense to me I have to have to keep that guy for a minimum of two years because it does not make any

Sense it does not make any sense to retain him but on a as you said it’s a lot of mixed messaging we’re doing things the like the right way the wrong way but we have to win and we have to improve that that mies messaging to me

Like it doesn’t work in my brain right those two things can’t be true at the same time you can’t be in things for the Long Haul but also win now so if you are going this route in my opinion again Matty RL must be the head coach for a

Minimum of two years because now you are working towards that continuity you are working towards that stability that you’ve spent so much time talking about if that’s the case if Mandy bfo is the head coach and knows he’s going to be the head coach and an incoming OC knows

He’s the head coach for a minimum of two years then in my opinion there’s a chance it works out but if Eber flu is on a win eight games win nine games make the playoffs or your out type deal then then this could be doomed from the

Start man you guys are just knocking the ball out the the park this morning um look let me ask you this to and it still kind of pertains to this discussion and you in your opinion I’ll hit you first Alex how attractive and I know you’ve basically said it but just so everyone

Hears it how attractive do you believe this offensive coordinator position because that’s what they were selling to us that people are breaking down the door yesterday was basically what they were saying to get to halis Hall from Kevin Warren to Ryan po to Matt Eber flu

It was like man my they hitting me up buddy they on they on me how attractive do you feel this offensive coordinator position is for someone coming in moving forward outex if you have the assurance that you will have two years minimum like I’m working in that framework because again that’s

The only way that this makes sense in my brain so that’s the framework I’m working in I do think it’s actually very attractive as Josh said you have the number one pick you have a wide receiver one in place in DJ Moore I believe you have both tackle things figured out if

Not like solid yeah I think I think you can look at Braxton Jones and say we have a left tackle we have a right tackle would you bring in another tackle and increase the competition for Braxton Jones yes I don’t see it as a huge hole

Like some other people see it as I I don’t think it’s a huge hole but I think the anger the anger in that and I apologize for jumping in the anger is that is when Ryan po addressed it and mentioned competition you’ve never given Braxton Jones competition and that’s

Where for someone that talks about Ste sharp and steel iron sh all that mess that he says his personally picked players he doesn’t put them at that that type of position so that’s that is completely Fair that’s completely Fair the fact that the Bears have not given Braxton Jones competition totally fair

Argument to make but I’m just looking at it as an incoming OC I have the number one pick so I I can go get my guy at QB I have a wide receiver one and I have the two you know really important positions on the offensive line at least

Solid like we’re we’re not super duper worried about that um and then I I still think this holds water even though it might seem cliche people can be cynical about it I still think coming to the Chicago Bears and having the opportunity to be the guy who wins a

Super Bowl in Chicago I I do believe that that matters we hear that a lot from incoming players and I don’t think it’s just lip service um so you wrap all of that up I actually do think it it could be again if you are assured like

Matty Ruff is going to be here for two years we’re not going to be shuffling the decks after the 2024 season I think it’s an attractive spot um we are fortunate enough to have one of our members has been all over this country um so he can give us a

National perspective Josh from someone because me and Alex have been stuck in this muck from someone on the outside looking in one have you heard how people feel about what the Bears did but also do you think it nationally that people think this is an attractive opportunity to be the Bears OC

Yeah I made some calls yesterday after after theyve moved on from Luke getsy just kind of gauge what people what people think and um the the Matty job security situation is is a big is a big ticking Point obviously and I I don’t think they’re going to whoever the

Candidates are I don’t think they’re going to walk in there and get you’re definitely going to be here two years because Kevin Warren said they haven’t talked contract extensions and they’re probably not going to um I think that people around the league do view this as desirable just because of the pick it’s

Just because of Caleb Williams and Drake May um because if you are a either a young play caller a first-time play caller guy trying to you know make your way up and you have a generational talent to kind of tie yourself to like that’s an easy springboard regardless of

The market um so that that part is desirable the Bears are seen as less desirable by some people just because of the way they handle things like it’s not seen as a really well-run organization um it’s seen as semi- dysfunctional from the outside and and that’s kind of a

Problem right uh but I think overall you have DJ Moore you have 70 plus million in cap space like the offense is going to be better they’re going to have better players and you’re G to have a quarterback so it is it is desirable but

I mean you’re not going to I don’t think you’re going to get a current play caller unless it’s like Shane Waldren who’s now Fring because Pete Carroll left like you’re not GNA poach a Ben Johnson or a Frank Smith or a Bobby slowick like you’re gonna have to go

Lower on the totem pole and that’s okay because that’s where good good you know upand cominging guys are found but people who are dreaming big I just I don’t think that’s where the Bears are going to go hunting you talk about contract extension and correct me if I’m

Wrong I was under the impression that mat signed a four-year deal he did he did but I think the I think the idea years left on that deal it’s not like he need after no but the no but the idea is that if you talk extension now and just

Make it a one-year extension the idea is that means he’s going to get two years War you can easily move on from him with one year left that’s how it’s seen in League circles okay guys who’s who who remains here for everyone I know Simo um remains also uh what’s the

Titans in the Midway always in the Midway what about on the defensive side everyone staying on the defensive side correct yep all right yeah thoughts thoughts at who perhaps may be the defensive coordinator moving forward I know that they don’t know depending on who the DC is if he will be calling

Player will it be Matty RL but thoughts on someone who may just have the job during the week and flu calls or may have the job on during game time and calls the plays uh I think when we discussed this with wannie on our uh on our episode

That aired on Wednesday on television so check that out on YouTube or go back wannie made a really great case because I said hey should the Bears have a preference for going inh house or getting somebody from outside the organization I think he made a really

Good case for staying inh house and I believe that is probably what’s best for the Bears you want to keep everything as much together as possible on defense because that is what’s that’s the the motor that’s keeping this thing moving forward right that’s why people everybody still has their jobs is

Because the defense made excellent strides they went from one of the worst in the league to the best run defense and I know the pass numbers aren’t great when you look just at a yards standpoint but the interceptions went up they’re humming on defense keep those vibes

Going so I think you look at a guy like John hul who has been around this defense for a long time worked with Lovey Smith has done a bang up job with Jaylen Johnson with Terrell Smith with Tyreek Stevenson um as a as a potential

DC you look at Dave banzi who has been with flu for a long long time uh was his linebacker coach with the Colts so he obviously knows what Flo wants he could be a great uh a great candidate to be DC and then also Andre Curtis and and

Travis Smith I don’t want to say like they’re secondary coaches you know uh they they have done bang up jobs also Andre Curtis is the the safeties Coach Travis Smith is the defensive line coach and they’ve done really good jobs just my gut feeling feels like it would kind

Of be between bergonzi or or hul um obviously they could go outside of the organization but for me right now I just think it makes the most sense for them to stay in house and then also for ebra flu to still call plays uh he did a much

Better job than alen Williams when he took over play calling he kind of had that knack for dialing up blitzes uh disguising pressures he had some I mean you got to give him credit for for the job he did as a play caller and if it’s

Me and I am on the hot seat right and we are in this win now mode regardless if I’m if I have the job for one year or two years we did really well with me calling the plays I wouldn’t want to give that up I expect MADD rlu to remain

The defensive play caller even though he says you know we’re going to look at everything that’s something we’re going to evaluate I imagine that evaluation says yeah flu should still call the defensive play yeah he’s going to look at everything and say I want to keep my job

So I’ll just be the defensive play caller uh same reason he’s not going to bring in Ron Rivera or someone who’s gonna be you know rubbing elbows with Ryan poles and Kevin Warren every day be like what hey you spent a lot of time in Ryan’s office what’s that about oh

Nothing man we just talking about golf you know you’re always in George office all the time yeah yeah just talking about the good old days the 85 Bears exactly with lovey man we talk about the Super Bowl the lovey the W remember we went that Super Bowl with my defense

That was that was great there’s a reason there’s a reason even if it was wrong why lovey jettison Ron Rivera and that was to make sure if lovey seat got hot which at times it did that there wasn’t an in-house candidate to sit there and supplant him and that’s why lovey when

He got the power after the Super Bowl was like yeah I gotta get you out of here because you’re bear they’ll put you in this seat at any moment so I’m totally I agree talk about yesterday um and just how the press conference took place um it seems very beike um the

Situation because it’s funny in my my one of of my text threads there was a photo of everyone that was there and people was like why was it so and so here why was it so and so here and then Alex you broke it down prior to the show

What took place what happened yesterday how did this press conference come together how are you guys informed about this press conference is a better way for me to to pra phrase that question nothing I mean I mean we weren’t really informed if if that’s the question you’re asking uh we

Were I mean it came together quickly uh it it happened quickly let’s just you know say that they got fired I think we were expecting a press conference to happen on Thursday today it didn’t uh that’s just the way it shook out and we had to run down to H Hall and sometimes

That’s what the deal is and that’s what the deal was yesterday what really struck me more about the press conference and I talked about it in the past was the was the mixed messaging um was the we are win now and the standards must be raised and we

Expect to rise even if we have a rookie quarterback but we’re in this for the Long Haul and we’re doing things the right way and we’re building a foundation um to me that was what didn’t really Jive for me yesterday s me something yeah it was a

It was a press conference by a group of individuals who I think deep down knew they didn’t have the gumption to make the decision that was needed and then tried to sell us on why it was the right decision hey you know the Packers are playing are practicing right now for the

Playoffs so we hey we promise things are going to get better we Pro we promise you we feel really good about this and it was like man I I’m not buying any of why why do you feel why do you feel better about this like we haven’t even

Talked about the Allan Williams thing if he doesn’t have his issues and has to leave the defense probably doesn’t make any leaps at all because I saw no evidence Matt eus was willing to butt in that door and be like hey man I’m gonna need I’m gonna need you to do a little

Bit more of this and a little bit more of that so honestly the fact that Alan Williams had to you know leave uh was probably a godsend to Matt Eber flu I just thought the entire press conference was a dog and pony show with no with no

Real answers I mean and from Ryan P’s standpoint I always thought he had an easy out with Matty we all knew that George Ted made made the call more than he did to hire mat RL and I I think now he’s kind of tied himself to a guy that

Really he had it complete easy out with so now it’s like man this better work or else like it might be a rap for everyone let me ask you this do you we all said that perhaps they took a couple days to do their due diligence with other

Perhaps people that may have become candidates right do you do you think that with Ryan po Josh there was so muchat a fear of perhaps what some candidates would want when it comes to his authority and the power that he has moving forward and that’s why perhaps you retain a m

Bro yeah I mean it’s certainly possible with guys like you know Harbaugh obviously bel’s available now um those are guys who are going to want Personnel control uh but I mean honestly you don’t even have to look at those guys I don’t buy that Jim Harbaugh and Matty and Bill

Belch are the only two guys that are better than matl like I think if you’re Ryan poles and you’re really looking at this from a thousand foot view of everything that’s happened and the ups and downs and the growth and the development and what’s it there are a

Lot better options out there man Ben Johnson’s out there there are a lot better options so I don’t buy like that’s probably why he didn’t call Jim Harbaugh because he knows what Harbaugh wants that’s probably why they weren’t gonna go after Bill bich but I just think the Bears they just were Bears

About it they were like yeah we don’t really want to make that we don’t want to make the really tough decision so we’re going to make the the easy call and and sell everyone that hey everything’s F in Hol everything’s always fine in h Hol I’ll push back a

Little bit I don’t know I really don’t know if the guys that people Bandy about are really better options there are the Mike tomlins and the bill bich and the Jim Harbaugh and those guys are sure things but the Bears have also done the flavor of the month head coach hire many

Times and many times that guy you know turns out not to be the guy I mean right Mark tresman was this offensive Guru who was gonna finally bring he was not the flavor of the mon he was not the flavor of the okay so who the hell what Matt n

That’s flavor but in all fairness if the only two I say flavor of the months and we talked about this Wednesday and people can take Snipes or whatever Dave wet was a hot candidate because you’re talking about one of the better dynasties in the NFL with what the

Dallas Cowboys did that’s that’s kind of the flavor of M remember lovey wasn’t the first candidate when they would brought in lovey you know you had the incident where they they messed around and announced the Arizona Cardinals like defensive coordinator whatever was the they they said he was the coach before

And he was like I didn’t accept that job but right so they’ve messed up this higher before right they had an opportunity to get Bruce arens they had an opportunity to get Bruce Aran they didn’t you know so I just don’t know These Guys these coordinators who are so

Good don’t always turn into great head coaches they’re not all Mike McDaniel type guys sometimes they’re Josh McDaniels you know Matt didn’t turn into one he’s still man still here I am still team still te turned around if you jump off the boat then everybody jumps off the boat bad

Team right I I am like I don’t know two years in I’m not ready to write him off yet and I know that is such an unpopular opinion but I’m not ready I’m not ready to write him off yet I look I I think I think in this two things can be true

There’s a chance where he could continue to write this ship next season there it’s it’s a it’s a strong possibility they have cap money they have draft Equity there there’s a that’s definitely a chance so it’s not the worst thing they did but I still go with what Josh

Is saying about putting your big boy pants on if you’re trying to step this organization up into this Century the way finally got a president right how long have we been like hey at least get a president that’s been really on the football side before than just having

Ted Phillips and not I don’t have the pH speef that a lot of people have but an accountant sitting here in charge of all the football operations and the money um so why not at this point with the first pick in the draft a Tre either if

Someone could love or or make move off of Justin off this is one of the most this this time has been the most one attractive time the Bears have ever been you I will give them props on this you brought in Mont sweat and DJ Moore And

Trades that they they and it’s funny hear him say I was like yeah I really don’t I really don’t Jam them two together when I think about it you you definitely pulled something off right there um but still when you have all these attractive pieces you have excellent secondary if you retain Jaylen

Johnson your linebacking core which you spent a lot of money on came to fruition in the second half of the Season we Edwards was already humming but Edmunds it clicked um Alex you said it plenty of times detailing how him not being there affected how his performance was until

He really got inundated in this system there’s a lot of attractive things here for you to say look this take take this job and you in my opinion and this is just my opinion you were hesitant I don’t want to say afraid but you were hesitant when you didn’t need to be

Hesitant and that’s where there’s a frustrating aspect because just as I said that the there can can continue to be positive movement there also can be regression and we’ve seen in mat bfl’s tenure here that regression is taking place now it’s just it’s as Alex pointed

Out it’s a small sample size so perhaps it’s just him learning and it’s growing and they’ll continue to grow but we’ve seen them at times seeming to have to relearn things where you’re like wait this was working last season why would you move off of it so that I think

That’s where the concern lies with what the decision makers did or made in in Palace Hall I hear you and to be clear I think you know Ryan pulse told us he didn’t reach out to Jim Harbaugh that’s negligent you know if you don’t kick the

Tires on Mike Tomlin or bill bich again that’s NE these are kind of like unique opportunities they’re not unique because there’s three different opportunities but you get it they’re rare opportunities you don’t often get a chance to add a coach of that caliber so in those cases yeah you got to do your

Homework now uh is there a chance that Ryan poles lied to us when he said I didn’t reach out to Jim Harbaugh I mean probably he’s sitting next to the coach that he just retained you think he’s gonna say oh yeah I kicked the tires on

Jim Harbaugh and uh you know he wasn’t interested or we couldn’t find common ground it wasn’t going to be a good fit so the guy sitting next to me still the guy like he’s not gonna say that um so I think there’s a chance that he lied to

Us uh because sometimes lying is part of the job as a GM uh but if he truly did not kick the tires on Jim Harbaugh then yeah it’s probably negligent I agree I think it’s semantics I’m sure he may have not hopefully let me say this to your point someone texted someone texted

Don someone texted Don and was like what’s the what’s the word here yes right yes that’s that’s it so it still kept him clear but like what you say Alex like at one point during the press conference he looks over e he’s like man I almost had hard ball over you like

That what do we expect this guy to do well you you it was this close you was out of here right all right well well let me ask you guys this and I want your thoughts on everything that was said throughing the press conference but something that

Stood out to me um Kevin waren man my man was laying all hard and how he he like and it was like don’t do it how he levered Chicago against Arlington Heights I was like B man going after those step tax money what talk about talk about a guy who doesn’t

Want to commute to Arlington Heights to go to Bears games that’s that’s the guy who doesn’t want to commute yeah you talk about the fans want Kevin War doesn’t want to commute he’s like ah man I live in the city it’s much easier me City don’t don’t dangle that car in

Front of uh Bears fans that’s to me where it’s don’t be like that because I think it’s weird not weird it’s great that Bears fans have grown to the point where we were fine with the fact that there won’t be in the city it’s like I

Understand why you have to move out into the BBS when you have the opportunity to bring in the windfall that you can bring in but don’t dangle that they may stay here and play that game because you’re playing for me being a southsider that that drives up the lakefront to come

Work with you guys every week um don’t that’s that’s that’s where it’s just like I get what you have to do though I know what he has to do but I didn’t need that in that press conference but was there anything else outside of that and Alex you’ve mentioned just the The

Duality and and trying to do this but you’re saying to do this was there anything else that mat flu general manager Ryan po or president Kevin Warren said to stood out to either one of you I mean I think the the the Hot Topic is how they’re going to approach

The quarterback situation and the number one overall pick right I think Ryan P’s um he tried to start by saying like hey it’s going to be the same attitude I took last year which was I got to be blown away and then in the next sentence

He was like but it’s kind of a different opportunity and you know we got to find but we got to find guys of High character um I mean I think the writing’s pretty much on the wall sounds like Ryan poles really understands the opportunity that is in front of the

Bears with the quarterback uh position with Caleb Williams or Drake May it’s probably Caleb Williams um yeah we could I just want you to stop mentioning Drake May when we’re doing this just doing it for yourself information gathering mode man there’s still information gathering they haven’t learned who they

Are as people yet they got to meet them got you got it you’re right you’re right Alex he’s going to he’s going to take it all the way up to April I I thought the the questions about the evaluation of CJ strad were were important even though

Ryan polls didn’t really give us a an answer because I do think that that is is noteworthy as we go forward in this process you know either either they didn’t give themselves the chance to be blown away by CJ stra because they really wanted to keep Justin and they

Viewed it as an asset which look once again the trade worked out flawlessly DJ Moore Darnell rright Tyreek Stevenson number one pick this year no problems with the trade or they completely whiffed and misevaluated CJ stra which is a bigger issue so I think those are questions that that need to be answered

But I just found it noteworthy uh you know all the boxes Ryan pole said that need to be ticked basically you know praising Justin as grow saying he can lead this team they obviously really love the character everything has to match up um but I think we all know

Where this road ends yeah only thing I’ll add that suck out to me is uh the Jaylen Johnson talk I mean uh polls was definitive when saying he is not going anywhere and I know we’ve heard things you know I want to relate it back to the

Ran Smith scenario where it was like we love ran we really hope to get a deal done with ran we want ran to stay I don’t know I don’t remember and Josh you have the lizard brain that remembers everything if he was ever as definitive as jaylen’s not going anywhere and I

Think that’s also right he was not yeah um and I think that’s important also when we look at the breadth of the year for jayen Johnson going into training camp saying I want an extension him not holding out uh him answering the challenge of creating more takeaways not getting that extension requesting a

Trade kind of getting over that and still finishing the year strong when you look at the totality of that and what he means really to this defense as a premier cornerback and how important quarterback is in the league uh um when you look at everything it just makes

Sense that Jaylen Johnson should be a Bearer in 2024 and probably Beyond uh so to hear that Assurance from Ryan poles when so much is uncertain with the future I think is notable I love everything you said right there because you you tickled something inside of my brain um when you’re talking about

Jaylen Johnson Alex and Ryan po saying that he’s not going to let him go or get out of that building and this is just a question in my mind do you guys think that could affect whether or not they retain Bojack Eddie Jackson because you the thing about Eddie Jackson is you

Want to have that vet but Jaylen Johnson is moving into that area now as far as being the veteran and we’ve heard we’ve heard Tyreek Stevenson talk about how important I know we’ve heard brisker say the same about Eddie Jackson but do you think that the Bears because of how much

Money he’s owed that the Bears and Eddie Jackson may not be able to find a common place for him to return here next year it’s it’s certainly possible I asked Ryan PS about that yesterday and he kind of skirted these the question about where he sees Eddie in the future

By praising Eddie and saying how important he felt that Eddie was to to jquan he said that when Eddie was in there he felt chaquan played played better was more free their communication is sound uh they understand his importance you know I wrote a I wrote a

Pretty big piece before the Packers game I had a couple sit Downs with Eddie about his future and he’s pretty pretty open about the fact that he knows that this might be the end he obviously really wants to stay I think it probably takes a reworked contract right I think

He’s do 14.2 million something like that uh this year which is a large chunk of change for a guy who is 30 and has kind of been um you know he’s still a good player but athletically he’s not the same due to the Foot Right you kind of

You know want him to maybe take a take a pay cut um I think they’d like to keep him I think they should keep him I think that veteran leadership is is important and yeah Jaylen can be that guy but those they’re different types of leaders

Jaylen is a I lead by example I lead by my play Eddie is different Eddie is Rah ra Eddie is loud Eddie is in their face and jaylen’s still only 24 yeah he’s a veteran he’s going on a second contract he’s still very young um I think you do

Need someone like Eddie in that locker room um but it’s gonna be interesting to see how they handle it just because of of the money owed and of Eddie’s age Eddie’s also an important guy in terms of off the field bonding I mean he’s one of the guys who is like let’s get

Together out of this building uh for a long time he was hosting Thursday Night Football watch parties at his place where you have the private Chef that stuff is important and that’s stuff that you know Ryan poles was talking about hey I love where this team is it’s

Because of the off the field bonding Eddie Jackson’s in the middle of all of that um and then you know just to kind of uh go into more detail about what Josh was talking about about the different types of leadership on the field he’s so important as the quarterback of that defense the

Quarterback of the secondary really he’s the one who is seeing everything before it happens and telling everybody hey the ball’s coming here so you go there I’m going to be here like he’s the one kind of organizing everything pre- snap so yeah even with the down tick in playmaking he’s still really important

On the field uh and then also you know to bring it back to the original question of does Jaylen Johnson’s future and him staying and him getting the bag affect Eddie Jackson’s future I think no I mean they still have tons of cap space they still have other avenues to to

Create more cap space I mean the other side of the coin is Cody whitehair is another guy who is owed a lot of money and he’s a guy who probably isn’t going to come back uh he’s been a great player for this organization for a long time

But the fact of the matter is this the team has moved on from him they put him on the bench right he’s he’s now a rotational guard so you know you create more money that way where I don’t see it as a huge pressing need oh we really

Need the cash from Eddie Jackson’s contract they still have tons of space they still have ways to create more space so it’s not like they can’t afford Eddie Jackson I hope both of you guys are right uh I want Eddie Jackson to remain here um his story has been one of

Those epic Tales of redemption um in the city that you never thought you would see anything else gentlemen before we get out of here that sticks out to you from yesterday or any questions and also Josh Eddie Jackson article was excellent article oh thanks yeah I do want to talk

Candidates yes my bad who do you got we’re good no uh well so so the Bears have already put in a request to interview Shane Waldren from the Seahawks obviously Pete Carrol stepping down he’s a semi free agent um you know an interesting guy um you know gets a

Lot of credit for the work he did with Gino Smith last year when Gino won comeback player of the year um you know they offense has kind of ranged from the low 20s to the you know 10 it’s been nothing explosive but you know he’s pretty versatile um you know a guy I

Like is uh is what tree does he come from Josh what tree MC M McVey okay mcy so you gotta leave with that Josh you gotta leave with that right so well so I mean it’s different because like the McVey tree is not really a it’s a it’s

Not a scheme tree right it’s just Sean McVey is really good at finding smart people because he’s so um adaptable in his offense like it’s gone from wide Zone to Gap to power so whereas like the Shan and tree like we’ll talk about Clint kubak who’s the passing game

Coordinator in San Francisco son of Gary kubak he gets a lot of credit um for the work with Brock pie he’s goingon to be a hot name that’s a guy that the bear should definitely Target um you know he runs the wide Zone scheme so he’s more schematically the Shane entry where the

Mve tree is just mve Tre is just I’m sha McVey I find really smart coaches and we make it work uh Zack Robinson is the passing game coordinator quarterback’s coach in Los Angeles under McVey I think that’s a guy uh that they should Target and then you know Gerard Johnson who’s

The quarterback’s coach in Houston and gets a lot of credit for the working on with CJ strad uh he worked with flu in Indianapolis uh he was the offensive quality control coach uh under Frank Reich so I mean those are some upand cominging names and obviously you’re

Going to hear Frank Reich Eric benmy um guys like that but I I really think that going the young upand cominging gerro Johnson Zack Robinson maybe Kevin patula who’s the passing game coordinator in Philadelphia who worked uh with with Matt in Indianapolis as well as an

Option um I think those are guys to look at but obviously Shane walr is the first one um notable on the board don’t bring anybody that work with him in Indianapolis back into this [Laughter] or all right I’m going go with if I have a preference I think the seist say bet

Is give me Gary kubak son he’s doing the passive for Shanahan just yeah come over here and Mike McDaniel’s his bad boy up like this to me that makes that and also it makes sense because he’s someone is actually doing it compared to hoping that a quarterback’s coach and I’m not

Saying this is what you’re you’re just listing the candidates like that sounds like it could be a situation that we’ve already experienced as far as Luke gie perhaps learning on the job but what were you about to say I apologize oh I say Clint kubak uh you

Know he has uh play calling uh experience he did call the plays at the end of last season for the Broncos he worked under Nathaniel Hackett um there so he has a little bit of play calling experience um but he’s very very highly regarded in Le circles and I think my my

You know qualifications are just have you worked under Kyle Shanahan do you know K Shanahan have you ever been at a bar with Kyle Shanahan have you talked ball with Kyle Shanahan for 30 seconds if one of those is yes get in the candidate pool so you don’t mind if they

Are not a first-time play caller are you down to run with a first-time play caller again yeah I mean he’s not a firsttime play caller but I am okay alrighty well thank you of course for taking time to watch us on this episode of under Center podcast please like And

Subscribe you can always watch us at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday on NBC Sports thanks for clar fliply Josh shck and of course my man Alex Shapiro we always appreciate when you take our time to hear us talk bears