For the first time a name has cropped up in relation to the vacant Bears defensive coordinator position.
Tennessee Titans defensive passing game coordinator Chris Harris will interview for the position with the Bears according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the former All-Pro played two different stints with the Bears as starting safety during the Lovie Smith era after being drafted in the sixth round in 2005. He also coached already for them, as a quality control coach under Marc Trestman in 2013 and 2014.
Harris played three-plus seasons for the Bears and made 10 of his 16 career interceptions for them and 21 of his 37 pass breakups. He also played for Carolina, Detroit and Jacksonville and retired in 2012.
Harris went on to be an assistant defensive backs coach with the Chargers from 2016-19 and with Washington from 2020-22 before taking over as defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach in Tennessee last season.
The real question with this position for the Bears is whether it is actually going to include calling defensive plays on game day. It would seem unlikely because coach Matt Eberflus.
After the season, Eberflus seemed undecided on this but the defense made so much progress with him calling plays after Alan Williams’ resignation as the DC that it would seem risky to switch away from it.
“Yeah, so we’re still looking at that,” Eberflus said. “I think it’s something I’ve stated I love to do, but as we talk to these candidates, we’re going to keep everything open right now, but certainly welcome that again for next year, but we’ll see as we go through this process.”
Whether candidates would want to be a defensive coordinator without calling the plays is questionable, but Eberflus thinks this is a top coordinator job regardless.
“I think both offensive coordinator and defensive coordinators are very attractive based on the personnel we have and based on the rise of this team,” he said. “You can certainly see that in the progress, and again, as we visit with these guys, we’ll be able to see that, they’ll be able to see that. They know that.
“We’re always aware of other people’s rosters and where the vision for the team is going. Ours is definitely in a positive way that coaches want to come here and coach.”
Another possible name is a promotion from within. Linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi has been with Eberflus since he was Colts defensive coordinator 2018-21. He hasn’t been announced as a candidate for coordinator but is going to be a defensive coordinator in the East-West Shrine Bowl at the start of February.
