Mike Vrabel is regarded as one of the best candidates for the upcoming coaching carousel. The former Tennessee Titans head coach has worked as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns this season and is expected to attract considerable interest.
The Chicago Bears are viewed as a potential landing spot for Vrabel as they aim to replace Matt Eberflus. However, NFL analyst Danny Parkins believes the Bears should prioritize other candidates who are better fit to optimize quarterback Caleb Williams.
Danny Parkins Makes His Stance Clear on Mike Vrabel
In a recent segment on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Parkins argued that Vrabel has become overrated and he should instead coach a team where the quarterback and the offensive infrastructure have already been established.
“I want the offensive guy,” Parkins said about the Bears. “Mike Vrabel should coach Cincinnati, where they have Joe Burrow, and the offense is established. He should coach Dallas, where they have Dak Prescott and the offense is established. Go coach Ohio State if you want. I feel like we’ve overrated him because time away has helped him age pretty well.”
The Fox Sports analyst mentioned that in a season where the Titans won 12 games under Vrabel, the team had A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry. He also added that there was a power struggle in Tennessee as the 49-year-old failed to replace Arthur Smith, who got the best out of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
.@DannyParkins doesn't want Mike Vrabel to be the next Bears HC
"We are not aligned on this, @ColinCowherd… I think this leader of men stuff is grossly overrated." pic.twitter.com/HPuFCBaMHx
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 18, 2024
Parkins also emphasized that Vrabel “went 6-18 in his last 24 games” as the Titans head coach, which included a season-ending seven-game losing streak in 2022.
“Caleb Williams is at an inflection point,” Parkins added, “He’s at a fork-in-the-road moment in his career. I want to try to find a coach who can win, develop, and maximize any quarterback. … Yeah, leadership is a problem. I’m not going to dispute it, but I think this leader of men stuff is grossly overrated. All football coaches are supposed to be leaders of men.”
Parkins made valid points, as getting another defensive-minded head coach might not be ideal for Williams’ development. Suppose the Bears do end up hiring Vrabel. In that case, the franchise also has to bring in a great offensive coordinator, and Vrabel’s struggles after Smtih departed for the Atlanta Falcons don’t inspire confidence.
3 Notable Offensive-Minded Candidates for the Bears
How Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have played this year shows that had Chicago hired a better offensive coordinator than Shane Waldron, Williams might have had similar success.
Here are the three of the more notable offensive-minded candidates for the Bears’ head coach position:
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
- Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
Apart from Vrabel, Johnson is another highly-regarded candidate for the next coaching cycle. His work in Detroit with Jared Goff is enough to show that he’s ready for a promotion, but luring him away from a Super Bowl contender is a tall task.
Kingsbury has always been a quarterback-friendly coach and worked with Williams at USC. He will be good for the offense, but like Vrabel, concerns exist on the other side of the ball; and his recent stint with the Arizona Cardinals ended poorly.
In his conversation with Cowherd, Parkins mentioned that if Chicago cannot trade for a coach like Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay, the team will have to find someone who can be the next head coach of the same mold.
Slowik was part of the famous Commanders coaching staff from 2013, which consisted of Shanahan, McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel. His unit has been inconsistent in 2024, but he has his share of fans around the league, potentially earning him the opportunity to coach another top quarterback prospect.
