It’s rare that an interview with an NFL head coach comes as a complete surprise. But the Chicago Bears did it.
The Bears will interview Eddie George for their head coaching vacancy on Sunday, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. George, a Heisman Trophy winner who had more than 10,000 rushing yards during his NFL career and coached at Tennessee State University, had not been listed as a candidate for any of the NFL vacancies .
George is only 24-22 years old as Tennessee State’s head coach, but he’s coming off a good season. He was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award after leading his team to a 9-4 record. The Tigers finished four for their conference championship and made the FCS playoffs for only the second time since 1999.
George is well known to football fans. He won a Heisman Trophy in 1995 at Ohio State, was a first-round draft pick of the Houston Oilers and had seven 1,000-yard seasons for the Oilers, then the Tennessee Titans after the franchise moved. He spent the final season of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He had no coaching experience when Tennessee State hired him as head coach in 2021.
The Bears have had a vacancy since firing Matt Eberflus after a tough Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions. The Bears went 5-12 but have some intriguing players, including Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Chicago interviewed several candidates, including Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. Nearly two weeks into the offseason, they added a surprising new name to their roster.
