Bears want to meet with Pete Carroll, but he’s keeping his options open
With the report out that Pete Carroll is interested in the Bears’ coaching vacancy, Chicago has made it clear that it’s ready to meet with him about the job.
But Carroll, 73, is keeping his NFL options open.
On Wednesday, ESPN reported that Carroll was expressing interest in the Bears head coach position after the team fired Matt Eberflus after Thanksgiving.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirmed that reporting during his segment on Prime Video’s pregame show for “Thursday Night Football,” but indicated that Carroll has let other teams know that he is ready to be back on the sidelines.
“Pete Carroll has interest in the Bears job, but that’s not the only one he is looking at,” Breer told Charissa Thompson before the Seahawks-Bears Thursday night clash. “I’m told that he has informed all of the teams with openings that he is looking to get back into coaching in 2025. And, additionally, Charissa, I am told that the Bears are interested in sitting down and having a conversation with Carroll about their opening.”
After Lovie Smith’s eight-year (2004-12) run with the Bears, Chicago has had a hard time keeping the coaching carousel from stopping.
Eberflus failed to get the Bears back to prominence, finishing with a 14-32 record after he lost a memorable Thanksgiving game to the Lions after the team mismanaged the clock in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
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Carroll could be an intriguing candidate to fill the role after he was replaced as Seahawks coach earlier this year.
Across 14 seasons in Seattle, Carroll built a consistent winner that went 137-89-1 and won a Super Bowl in 2014 and an NFC title the following season.
If Carroll, who also previously coached at USC, were to land in Chicago, he would be joining forces with quarterback Caleb Williams, who also was a Trojan.
