CHICAGO – Perhaps Pete Carroll’s age feels like a legitimate deterrent to some. He is, after all, a septuagenarian, turning 74 in September 2025. Do the Chicago Bears really want to roll those dice and unite with a gray-haired coach whose NFL career likely won’t reach the end of this decade?
Shouldn’t they be aiming to go younger, filling their head coaching vacancy with a similarly vibrant but much younger leader who might be able to stick around for a long time? And what about Carroll’s defensive-minded background? Is that what the Bears need at this critical stage of their history, when the development of quarterback Caleb Williams is so crucial to the organization’s future?
Plus, isn’t it possible Carroll’s desire for clout inside Halas Hall – particularly as it pertains to building the roster – might challenge the power structure President/CEO Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles have in place, disrupting their vision for how the franchise’s turnaround should occur?
Sure, there are easy ways to reject Carroll as a viable candidate to become the 19th head coach in Bears history, and Warren and Poles should have plenty of alternative choices.
But with reports surfacing over the past week that Carroll is interested in learning more about the job and that the Bears have mutual intrigue, the organization owes it to itself to remain open-minded.
Make a call. Lean in. Listen closely. Let it all sink in.
‘He’s a believer’
Isn’t Carroll exactly the kind of candidate Warren described at the start of this month when he offered a list of traits the Bears will value as they seek their next coach?
Tough and demanding: Check.
Can create a culture of accountability: Check. Bright and creative? Decisive? Check, check and check. After Thursday night’s game at Soldier Field, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith weighed in with his endorsement. Smith played for Carroll for five seasons in Seattle and revived his career during that time.
“Coach Carroll, man, is a special human being,” Smith said. “He’s a believer. He’s a guy who is always going to be upbeat. He’s always going to fight. And he has one way about him. That’s what I love about him.”
That one way is energized. Positive. Charismatic. For 14 seasons in Seattle, Carroll established a reputation as a master motivator and an authentic leader with a natural ability to connect with players. One league source with experience under Carroll called him “an absolute legend in building belief.” “Pete can make you feel like you’re 7 feet tall,” the source said. “And there’s no substitute for that kind of energy, for that kind of belief.”
“Pete can make you feel like you’re 7 feet tall,” the source said. “And there’s no substitute for that kind of energy, for that kind of belief.” Breaking news: An influx of belief is needed at Halas Hall. Let’s be real. Are these wayward Bears – last place, 4-12, staggering through a 10-game losing streak – in any position to be picky about anything or anybody right now?
Is a franchise that has finished in the bottom half of the NFC North in 12 of the last 16 seasons worthy of steering away from a coach whose regular-season winning percentage in Seattle was .606? Can a team that hasn’t enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons since the late 1980s and has only three playoff victories since the turn of the century turn up its nose at a coach who knows what it’s like to hoist a Lombardi Trophy during a confetti shower?
Reaching out
Over his 14 seasons in Seattle, Carroll’s teams went to the postseason 10 times and won 10 playoff games. And while we’re on that magic number, the Seahawks averaged 10 victories per season under his watch, a benchmark the Bears have reached only six times since 1992.
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