Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald has been linked to several NFL jobs this year, but his agent put a wet blanket over that speculation on Thursday.
Speaking to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Fitzgerald’s agent Bryan Harlan said that several NFL teams were interested in his client, but that the coach will be staying put at Northwestern.
That group of teams includes the Packers, who were reportedly interested in interviewing Fitzgerald as they search for Mike McCarthy’s permanent replacement.
Fitzgerald is coming off his fourth straight winning season at Northwestern, where he led the Wildcats to their first ever appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Wildcats also won their third straight bowl game with Fitzgerald at the helm, defeating Utah in comeback fashion in the Holiday Bowl earlier this week.
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We have to give special teams its due, and McManis has been one of the teamu2019s most impactful players in that phase of the game. He was acquired in a 2012 trade with the Houston Texans that sent fullback Tyler Clutts the other way.
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Another cornerstone of the Bearsu2019 roster was drafted by the previous regime, as the then 24-year-old was the first guard to be drafted by the team in the first round in more than 50 years.
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Another holdover from the Phil Emery era, Fuller struggled for many years before finding his footing in 2017, and after signing a big contract with the Bears he did even better in 2018, becoming a Pro Bowler.
The Bearsu2019 current window truly opened when the team hired Pace, who was with the New Orleans Saints. Then just 38 years old, Pace was the leagueu2019s youngest G.M. when he was hired.
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When former head coach John Fox was at the helm, Fangio was hired to rebuild the teamu2019s defense. Now, four years later, Fangio was a key retention on the teamu2019s coaching staff, and he has thrived in his role.
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One of Ryan Paceu2019s first draft picks, Goldman unquestionably panned out, as heu2019s become an elite run stopper up the middle.
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While maybe not as highly-heralded as Akiem Hicks or Khalil Mack, Trevathan has been a steadying force in the middle of the Bearsu2019 defense since he was signed as a free agent during the 2016 offseason.
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Whitehair has been a mainstay on the Bearsu2019 line ever since he was drafted, moving between guard and center.
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Little did the Bears know when they drafted Howard in the fifth round, but he would soon become one of the leagueu2019s top rookie rushers, finishing behind only Ezekiel Elliott in rushing yards by a rookie that season.
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The Bearsu2019 secondary was bolstered in a big way by the strong season that Amukamara put together that season, and the team rewarded him with a fresh three-year deal.
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Hicks has gone from a solid signing to one of the very best defensive tackles in the NFL, helping to anchor one of the leagueu2019s best defenses.
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The Bears moved up one spot to get Trubisky with the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, and it cost them, as they gave up two third round picks and a fourth round pick to do so.
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Little did the Bears know when they drafted Jackson in the fourth round that he would become one of the leagueu2019s most dynamic secondary players. He already has five career touchdowns in just two seasons.
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The Bears have a history of loading up on running backs in the draft, and thatu2019s what they did in 2017 as they snagged Cohen, a standout at North Carolina A&T, in the fourth round.
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Just after the end of the NFL season, the Bears quickly zeroed in on Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and hired them as their 16th head coach.
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The Bears got aggressive this season in free agency, signing Robinson to a lucrative three-year contract to become their primary wide receiver.
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After holding out through most of the preseason, Smith came into the league and was an immediate force in the Bearsu2019 defense, registering 122 tackles.
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Miller was one of the NFLu2019s top rookie wide receivers after getting picked in the second round of this yearu2019s draft, snagging 33 catches for 423 yards and seven touchdowns.
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Arguably the second-most high-profile move of the bunch, Mack was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Oakland Raiders that sent two first round picks, a third round pick, and a sixth round pick. The Bears then signed him to a massive six-year contract that made him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.
