LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears will reportedly consider a man tied to both of their Super Bowl appearances to try to lead them back there one day.
The Chicago Tribune reports the Bears are expected to interview Ron Rivera on Sunday, according to NFL sources. It’s believed the meeting will be in person, the report says, which would make it the first head coaching interview this cycle the Bears have done at Halas Hall.
So far, they’ve conducted only virtual interviews with candidates. Per NFL rules, candidates employed by other teams can’t interview in person until Jan. 20. That includes teams that are not in the postseason.
Rivera, 63, played nine seasons at linebacker for the Bears from 1984-92 and was a member of the famed defense that propelled them to the Super Bowl XX title in the 1985 season. He was not a starter that season, but he played in all 16 regular season games and all three playoff games, including the Super Bowl.
Rivera later served as the Bears’ defensive coordinator from 2004-06, which included a Super Bowl XLI appearance in the 2006 season.
Rivera went on to become a head coach for two teams, the Carolina Panthers from 2011-19 and the Washington Commanders from 2020-23. Rivera was twice named NFL Coach of the Year during his Carolina tenure, in 2013 and 2015, and guided the Panthers to a Super Bowl 50 appearance in that 2015 season.
His career head coaching record is almost exactly .500, at 102-103-2 over 207 games spanning 13 seasons.
The Tribune reports that Rivera has already been interviewed by the New York Jets for their open head coaching position.
Johnson, Glenn interview
Meanwhile, the Bears have completed interviews with probably the hottest head coaching candidate of this cycle and a candidate that’s arguably right behind him.
Both are trying to help lead the Detroit Lions to their first Super Bowl, and both are drawing plenty of interest from other teams with head coaching vacancies.
The Bears announced on their X feed Saturday that they’ve completed interviews with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Johnson is probably the most highly sought-after assistant right now after turning Detroit’s offense into a juggernaut over the last three seasons. The Lions scored 564 points to lead the NFL in 2024.
Glenn has made his mark on the other side of the ball as Detroit’s defensive coordinator for the last four seasons. Despite suffering an avalanche of injuries on defense, Glenn has managed to keep it complementing the offense to the tune of a 15-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Glenn had a standout 15-year NFL career as a defensive back, playing for five teams and earning three Pro Bowl selections.
The Lions have a bye during the wild-card round this weekend and await their opponent for next weekend.
Carroll interviews
The Bears also completed an interview with Pete Carroll, another high-profile candidate with vast experience, the team announced Thursday.
Carroll, 73, has had a long and successful coaching career in both the NFL and in college.
Carroll was head coach of the Jets in 1994 and head coach of the New England Patriots from 1997-99 before going to the college ranks to take the helm at USC. There, he guided the Trojans to one of the most successful eras in college football history, winning back-to-back national titles in 2003-04 and three straight Rose Bowl titles from 2006-08.
Carroll then went back to the NFL as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, leading them to the Super Bowl XLVIII title in the 2013 season and back to the Super Bowl in the 2014 season. He stepped away from the Seahawks following the 2023 season.
The Bears also confirmed last week that they completed interviews with New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel was removed as a candidate on Sunday morning, however, when the New England Patriots hired him as their next head coach.
The Bears also reportedly sought permission from the Dallas Cowboys to interview their head coach, Mike McCarthy, but the Cowboys reportedly denied that permission. McCarthy is reportedly under contract through this Tuesday (Jan. 14), so the Cowboys would have to grant permission for any team to interview McCarthy while he’s under contract. But he could be free to interview as he chooses in a couple days if his contract is allowed to expire.
The Bears have also reportedly requested permission from the Minnesota Vikings to interview defensive coordinator Brian Flores, while Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, who took over after Matt Eberflus was fired in late November, remains in the mix.
Additionally, it’s believed the Bears have spoken to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, the Tribune report.