Chicago Bears fans are tired whether Ryan Poles should hire an up-and-coming offensive coordinator or an experienced head coach to be the next leader of his franchise.
While many debate the benefits of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson vs. former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, is the best option for a proven coach former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll.
The obvious downside to Carroll is his age. If the Bears hire him, he would once again become the oldest head coach in the NFL at 73, and it’s fair to question exactly how long he’ll want to stay in the role as he ages.
But youth is about where Vrabel’s advantage over Carroll ends. The ex-Seahawks coach has a more successful coaching record, a stronger coaching tree and a better fit with the Bears organization.
Not only does Carroll have a better overall win-loss record than Vrabel, but he did it in a tougher division and significantly more postseason success.
His two trips to the Super Bowl are the obvious headlines at the top of his resume, but he made the playoffs in 10 of his 14 seasons in Seattle, finishing under .500 just twice.
All of this came in an NFC West where the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams both made multiple trips to the Super Bowl during Carroll’s Seahawks tenure.
Vrabel’s Titans had a spectacular run to the 2019 AFC Championship Game, but his Tennessee team never won another playoff game under his leadership. They won the AFC South and made the postseason the following two years but lost their first playoff games each time.
His inability to replace offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with quality play-calling, along with an aging quarterback and a power struggle with management led to his eventual dismissal.
Carroll was far from perfect in his hiring of coordinators, but his offenses consistently ranked in the top 10 in scoring, and he helped identify diamond-in-the-rough quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Geno Smith.
NFL head coaches such as Dan Quinn, Dave Canales, Robert Saleh and Gus Bradley coached under Carroll in Seattle before getting opportunities to run their own teams. He identified and developed coaches, in addition to players.
It can help ease concerns about a succession plan when he decides to retire for good.
He’s not a perfect head coaching candidate, but he has a proven track record of establishing a winning culture and could cure much of what ails Chicago right now.
He doesn’t have the no-nonsense bravado that Vrabel offers, but that’s never been the style coach Bears ownership has preferred.
More importantly, he’s a proven winner across multiple quarterbacks, coaches and teams. If he was 10 or even 5 years younger, he would be the obvious choice.
Even at age 73, he should be the name Chicago debates against Ben Johnson, not Vrabel.
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