With more than a handful of NFL coaching vacancies, smart money says Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase had better get his best suit to the cleaners.
The 37-year-old is reportedly interviewing for at least four jobs and seems to be one of the hottest candidates out there.
But why?
Because he took a 32-year-old quarterback with the all the potential in the world and tapped some of it? Does “Jay Cutler fixer” (and Tim Tebow, for that matter) equal successful NFL head coach?
The taming of Jay makes for a good bullet-point on the resume, but since when is the coach-killer a coach-maker?
It’s not often you see the offensive coordinator of a 6-10 team on head-coaching short lists, yet Gase somehow has managed his way to the top of a few.
Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, once a short-lister himself, is one of the few insiders who believes Gase will be back with the Bears. The Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Score football expert has expressed a few times that Gase, though deserving, might have to wait another year or two.
And, he might want to wait. He did turn down the 49ers a year ago.
But consider this: With Aaron Kromer as OC in 2014, the Bears were No. 21 in the NFL in total yards and 23rd in points scored. Under Gase—with Cutler having the best season of his career—the Bears were No. 21 in total yards and 23rd in points scored. Sound familiar?
Try selling that to the hungry fans in Cleveland, Philadelphia or Miami.