The Bears are expected to interview their ninth candidate for the offensive coordinator position, USC quarterbacks coach and former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
To NFL analyst Colin Cowherd, the Bears interviewing Kingsbury --- and firing Luke Getsy --- was a calculated move to attract Caleb Williams and avoid the possibility of the USC quarterback denying to play in Chicago.
Ready for a conspiracy theory? Let's get right into it.
Cowherd reported on his show that he was told if Antonio Pierce got the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, he would immediately hire Kingsbury as the offensive coordinator. This, in Cowherd's mind, sparks a bidding war between the Raiders and Bears for Kingsbury.
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"Why did the Bears quickly get Luke Getsy out of here? They are sending a message [to Caleb Williams]," Cowherd said. "Who you like, we'll hire. If this is a bidding war, the Bears will outbid everybody to get Kingsbury because they don't want Caleb pushing back, not interested."
Kingsbury has spent the last year at USC working closely with top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. Kingsbury and Williams have a strong relationship and Kingsbury co-signs Williams' generational prowess, according to Cowherd.
Chicago Bears
Before this past season with USC, Kingsbury was the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons. During that time he helped Kyler Murray win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and make it to three Pro Bowls. Kingsbury is also known for developing Patrick Mahomes when Kingsbury was the head coach at Texas Tech, and helping Johnny Manziel win the Heisman award in 2012 as the Texas A&M OC and QBs coach.
Bottom line: Kingsbury has plenty of experience working with quarterbacks, including Williams, who could be the next signal-caller for the Bears. That, to Cowherd, means the Bears desperately need Kingsbury.
"Caleb and his dad, really into Kingsbury, so the Bears ... the Raiders want him, the Bears need him," Cowherd said. "The Bears may pay him a college coach salary. This is a real thing. To get Caleb and make his dad happy, Kingsbury is the guy."
Remember, the Bears have yet to decide on whether or not they want to move on from Justin Fields or continue forward with him. Interviewing Kingsbury could just be a ploy to study Williams from a key insider. That doesn't mean they're going to draft Williams, or hire Kingsbury.
Operating under the wishes of a rookie quarterback is also malpractice for an organization. They will hire the offensive coordinator they want to run their offense, not one a prospective quarterback might want to play under.
What's even more scathing, Cowherd claims Kingsbury's hypothetical insertion in the staff puts Matt Eberflus at risk. (The guy who would hire Kingsbury in this hypothetical?)
"What's gonna happen is if Caleb has a really good rookie year, Kliff's the coach," Cowherd said.
