Sources: Bears, Kingsbury likely to talk OC job

Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterJan 18, 2024, 05:51 PM ET
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CHICAGO — Former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is expected to interview for the Chicago Bears‘ offensive coordinator opening, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

Kingsbury is the ninth known candidate the Bears have requested to interview, joining a list that includes Shane Waldron, Greg Olson, Klint Kubiak, Liam Coen, Greg Roman, Thomas Brown, Marcus Brady and Zac Robinson.

The Bears fired former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and four members of the offensive staff Jan. 10 and began their search for a replacement immediately. Chicago ranked second in rushing but 27th in passing offense in 2023.

Kingsbury, who was fired by the Cardinals after four seasons (2019-2022), returned to the college ranks in 2023 as a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach for USC. Caleb Williams, the former Trojans quarterback who declared for the NFL draft this week, is projected to be the first player taken.

The Bears are in possession of the No. 1 overall pick for a second consecutive year after sending last year’s top selection to the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver DJ Moore and four draft picks. The Panthers finished with a league-worst 2-15 record, which secured the No. 1 overall pick for Chicago. The Bears also will be drafting at No. 9 after finishing 7-10.

Williams, 22, won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushing for 10 TDs. He threw for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 11 touchdowns this past season at USC. He announced his decision to enter the NFL draft Monday.

“I still have a lot to learn and I’m ready to do whatever it takes,” Williams wrote on Instagram. “As a kid, I said this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life, but I didn’t work this hard just to reach this point. I will continue my journey to make that little kid proud of the man I will be for many years to come.”

Chicago faces a major decision: Should it use the No. 1 overall pick on Williams or another rookie or move forward with quarterback Justin Fields, who is entering his fourth season? General manager Ryan Poles said the Bears are in “information-gathering mode” regarding their plans for the No. 1 overall pick, and are staying “wide open” in considering many scenarios.

“We have a really unique draft situation that is going to allow us to continue to get better,” Poles said.

Kingsbury’s first season with the Cardinals coincided with the organization using the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Kyler Murray in 2019. Murray threw for a career-best 3,971 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2020, but his best season came in Year 3 under Kingsbury when the Cardinals finished 11-6 and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.

Kingsbury, 44, compiled a 28-37-1 regular-season record in four seasons with the Cardinals and went 0-1 in the playoffs.