With Shane Waldron in place as offensive coordinator, the Bears need to address a position that has been vacant for more than four months — defensive coordinator.
Given that they have a defensive-minded head coach in Matt Eberflus and he’ll likely want to keep most or all of his defensive staff intact, there’s a strong chance the Bears will promote linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi to the job. They ideally would finalize a new hire before they scout the Senior Bowl next week.
Borgonzi, incidentally, was selected to be the defensive coordinator for the East team in the upcoming East-West Shrine Game. Bears special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower is the head coach for that side.
Eberflus gave no indication two weeks ago of where his search was headed and left the matter of his continued play-calling open-ended.
Of the Bears’ four defensive position coaches — Borgonzi, defensive line coach Travis Smith, cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke and safeties coach Andre Curtis — Borgonzi has worked with Eberflus the longest, at nine seasons.
Borgonzi, 41, got his first NFL job in 2011 as an assistant for the Cowboys, and Eberflus started with them the same year as their linebackers coach. They worked together there for three seasons, then reunited with the Colts in 2018. Eberflus, then the defensive coordinator, hired Borgonzi as linebackers coach. He hired him for the same position with the Bears in 2022.
Going with Borgonzi would give the Bears continuity. They could promote an assistant or hire a new staffer to replace him as linebackers coach.
The Bears also have scheduled interviews with Terrell Williams and former safety Chris Harris, NFL Network reported. Harris, 41, was a co-defensive coordinator with the Titans last season, and Williams, 49, was the Titans’ defensive line coach and assistant head coach.
Eberflus didn’t originally intend to call plays but was forced into it when Alan Williams resigned one game into this season. He proved very effective, though, and has repeatedly said he might maintain that role.
The Bears never directly filled Williams’ spot but hired former Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow as an analyst. Eberflus said his work would mostly be remote and centered on advance scouting.
