Bleacher Report Claims Bears Could Pluck a Vikings Coach
The Chicago Bears are in total disarray, falling on harsh times in the last three weeks after losing three games and firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron this week.
Bleacher Report Claims Bears Could Pluck a Vikings Coach
Chicago once owned a spiffy 4-2 record, eyeing the NFC’s deep Wildcard playoff picture, a flirtation that feels all but dead by mid-November.
And after Waldron’s dismissal, Bleacher Report spitballed multiple would-be applicants for the Bears’ 2025 offensive coordinator job, a bit of a weird exercise because Chicago will likely have a brand new coaching staff next season. Nevertheless, Vikings quarterback coach Grant Udinski grabbed a mention.
“Grant Udinski has elevated his status in coaching circles with the work he’s done during the last two seasons as the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach. Minnesota surprisingly finished 2023 as a top-five passing offense despite losing starting quarterback Kirk Cousins halfway through the season to a torn Achilles,” BR’s Alex Kay wrote. “Udinski helped get the most out of unheralded backups such as Nick Mullens and Joshua Dobbs, salvaging an otherwise lost campaign.”
Minnesota offense ranks 14th in the NFL per EPA/Play through 10 weeks, and Sam Darnold ranks 11th per EPA+CPOE, so Udinski is evidently turning heads.
Kay continued, “This year, Udinski and the Vikings have accomplished something three other teams couldn’t: They’ve helped turn Sam Darnold into a legitimate starting NFL quarterback. After flaming out with the New York Jets, the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 spent time with both the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before landing in Minnesota this offseason.”
“While he was expected to serve as a bridge to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, Darnold’s strong play could result in him keeping a hold on the job for a while longer.”
It’s a little strange to theorize Chicago’s next offensive coordinator now, as former running back Thomas Brown has taken the interim gig after serving as the team’s passing game coordinator. Instead, folks should perhaps wonder who replaces Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
“While the Vikings would hate to lose Udinski to one of their biggest rivals, the chance to run an offense in Chicago and jump-start Williams’ career could be too alluring for the up-and-coming coach to pass up,” Kay concluded.
BR is correct, though, that Udinski will get offensive coordinator nibbles before too long. He’s helped polish Darnold into a Top 15 starter, and his team is 7-2 through 10 weeks.
Udinski is in Year No. 3 as a Vikings coach, coming aboard at the dawn of the Kevin O’Connell era in 2022. He’ll get promotion attention before too long, and per BR, the Bears might be his next place of employment.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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