Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk isn't alone in floating the idea that the Chicago Bears should call the San Francisco 49ers about head coach Kyle Shanahan. During Monday night's broadcast of the Bears' game against the Minnesota Vikings, former quarterback-turned-analyst Troy Aikman also suggested the bold move.
The Bears, now 4-10 after losing to the Vikings, continue their search for a permanent head coach following the dismissal of Matt Eberflus and Thomas Brown's stint as interim head coach.
With momentum building around Chicago's coaching search, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported before the game that the organization is likely targeting an offensive-minded coach to pair with quarterback Caleb Williams.
"They're going to go on a search to find a partner for Caleb Williams... You have to figure that they're going to want to get some type of offensive-minded head coach that can get the best out of Caleb Williams... " - Adam Schefter on the Bears HC search pic.twitter.com/hZZNdT3T7z
— Matt Clapp (@DaBearNecess) December 17, 2024
"There has been discussion about, 'Do you give up some picks, and see if you can maybe make a deal for a guy like Kyle Shanahan?'" Aikman speculated during the fourth quarter, as the Vikings held a comfortable lead.
This conversation echoes Florio's remarks, which suggested that Shanahan might benefit from a fresh start with another team.
"I would be all-in on that because he would develop a quarterback, and he's a hell of a head coach," Aikman said. "But can you pull that off? That's a better question."
Aikman also emphasized that acquiring a proven head coach like Shanahan would be far less risky than gambling on an untested offensive mind.
"You never know the answer to that as to how good they're going to be," Aikman concluded.
Troy Aikman weighs in on the possibility...
"There has been discussion about, 'Do you give up some picks and see if you can maybe make a deal for a guy like Kyle Shanahan?' I would be all in on that. Because he would develop a quarterback and is a hell of a head coach." https://t.co/iEZ4agFIZk pic.twitter.com/ngs66LoR40
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 17, 2024
Following the 49ers' Week 14 win over the Bears, Shanahan dismissed Florio's speculation about his future.
"I don't want to be any place in the world more than here, and my family feels just as strong, if not a lot stronger," Shanahan told reporters. "You guys are going to have to kick me out of here. There's no way I'm making that decision."
General manager John Lynch also brushed off the rumors, describing them as amusing.
"I sit back, and I try to be focused, but I've found the whole discussion on Kyle and some of the stuff rather comical," Lynch said. "We have won four of the last five division championships. We've been in two Super Bowls.
"Look, the standard here is to win championships, and we've fallen short of that. I understand. But we have an excellent head coach. And the fact people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical."
