John Fox Is Expected To Be Fired From Chicago Bears’ Coach Job After Minnesota Vikings Game
John Fox is reportedly in his final hours as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. If the latest news holds true, John Fox’s last game as the Chicago Bears’ coach will come against the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport is citing sources that the Chicago Bears are preparing to fire John Fox shortly after the game versus the Minnesota Vikings. Fox will be let go by the Bears after three dismal seasons as head coach.
The Bears’ decision to part ways with John Fox seemed to be imminent. As recently as Week 10, the Bears appeared to be headed in the right direction. With rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky under the center, the Bears were 3-5 and facing the injury-riddled Green Bay Packers. The Packers played without Aaron Rodgers.
A Bears’ win over the Packers would have not only begun the righting of the ship for John Fox’s team, but they would also have been firmly inserted in the discussion for at least a wild card. Those hopes were dashed with a bitter 23-16 defeat. Embarrassment also became a factor for the Bears, who were the first team to lose to Packers’ backup Brent Hundley.
The defeat dropped the Chicago Bears to a record of 3-6. The defeat to the Packers officially put John Fox in the hot seat.
Regardless of the outcome versus the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears will finish with double-digit losses in each of the three seasons John Fox has been the coach. The Bears’ offense has struggled throughout the tenure of Fox. Not even the promotion of Mitch Trubisky could do anything to save the job of the Bears’ coach.
Most of the John Fox coaching staff will likely get the ax. One exception could be defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Bears’ defense will finish in the top 10 under Fangio’s tutelage.
In an ideal scenario, Chicago Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace would interview Vic Fangio for the head coaching vacancy. However, there are rumblings that Pace prefers an offensive-minded coach (courtesy of the Chicago Tribune) to lead the Bears.
Mitch Trubisky needs a coach with a strong pedigree for working with quarterbacks. There are few legitimate candidates available with the type of background which could help Trubisky, however.
Bears expected to fire HC John Fox after Sunday's game, per @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/Hzxw4sHK7R
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 31, 2017
This could open the door for the Chicago Bears to consider Vic Fangio as a replacement for John Fox. Fangio’s chances to land the job as the Bears’ coach could hinge on how well he interviews and which offensive coaches he would add to his staff. As of now, the only coaching rumors involving Fangio (courtesy of NBC Sports) have much to do with the Packers.
The next head coach of the Chicago Bears will have to be willing to help Mitch Trubisky succeed at every opportunity. One of the biggest indictments on John Fox and his staff is that they failed in this area.
As expected, John Fox will be fired after the conclusion of the game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears’ future head coach ironically could be the Vikings’ offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Vic Fangio could make a huge impression by helping the Bears slow down the Vikings’ offense.
