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Bears Urged to Consider 'Crazy' Trade for NFC Rival's Head Coach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Licata | Last updated Dec 3, 2024 12:42 AM ET

After firing Matt Eberflus on Friday, the Chicago Bears are now one of three NFL teams who will be looking for a new head coach in 2025, with more teams likely to join them in the coming weeks.

It's not every day a head coach gets traded, but that's exactly the "crazy" idea one ESPN reporter pitched as a potential solution for Chicago, now at 4-8 and on the verge of a fourth-straight losing season.

According to FanDuel Research, "There are eight well-known head coach trades in NFL history," including Don Shula (1970), Bill Parcells (1997), Mike Holmgren (1999), Bill Belichick (2000), Jon Gruden (2022), Herm Edwards (2006), Bruce Arians (2019) and most recently Sean Payton (2023). Five of those deals included at least one first-round draft pick in exchange.

ESPN senior NFL writer Kalyn Kahler suggested Monday that the Bears should pursue Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, given a couple of notable connections.

"This is going to sound crazy, but the Bears need to think crazy. They should trade for Kevin O’Connell," Kahler wrote on X. "Caleb and KOC love each other. I don’t know if the Vikings would ever part with him, but Chicago should at least try. Added bonus: I believe his agent is Trace Armstrong."

Notably, Armstrong is a former Bears defensive lineman (1989-1994) and first-round draft pick, and currently one of the most influential coaching agents in the business. He has direct ties to the Bears' last two coaches , Eberflus and Matt Nagy, as well as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' former head coach at USC, Lincoln Riley.

This is going to sound crazy, but the Bears need to think crazy. They should trade for Kevin O’Connell. Caleb and KOC love each other. I don’t know if the Vikings would ever part with him, but Chicago should at least try. Added bonus: I believe his agent is Trace Armstrong
— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) December 2, 2024

While it's fun to dream, a potential Bears-Vikings deal for O'Connell is extremely unlikely, if for no other reason than the teams are bitter NFC North rivals.

O'Connell, 39 and now in his third season at the helm, has led the Vikings to a 30-16 record since 2022, including a 10-2 mark this year and a division title and NFC Wild Card appearance in his first season.

In response to Kahler's pitch, The Ringer's Danny Heifetz asked the question many were thinking: "If you’re Minnesota, how many firsts do you need to send KOC to the Bears?"

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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