There are several NFL head coach jobs open right now, and two of the most attractives ones are the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.
The reason why these two teams should appeal to coaching candidates is that both have young quarterbacks with loads of talent and a rookie-contract salary.
The Patriots finished 4-13 for the second straight season and arguably have the worst roster in the league, but rookie quarterback Drake Maye showed tremendous potential in 2024. The Patriots also have the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and the most salary cap space of any team ahead of free agency. New England has lots of roster weaknesses to address, but plenty of avenues to make needed upgrades.
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The Bears own the No. 10 overall pick in the upcoming draft, as well as the fifth-most cap space. Chicago selected quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 and wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 in the 2024 draft, and both players had impressive rookie campaigns. Like the Patriots, the Bears have a horrible offensive line. Chicago's defense needs a lot of work, too.
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So, which of these two jobs is more attractive to the top head coach candidates this cycle?
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was asked this question Monday on Get Up!, and he didn't hesitate with his answer.
“I would choose New England because of Drake Maye," Orlovsky said. "I think the young man’s got a chance to be an absolute superstar. I think he’s got the chance to be Josh Allen.
"They’ve got the No. 4 pick. They’ve got $130 million in salary cap space. I can go get Tee Higgins and draft Emeka Ebuka from Ohio State and all of a sudden we’ve got a really good, promising football team. I could draft Will Campbell from LSU and protect him.
"I think that this is the place that is going to be -- for an offensive-minded head coach, if you are one, a Ben Johnson, I think that’s the place that you desire to go to.”
Which head coaching vacancy is more appealing: Patriots or Bears?
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 6, 2025
"I would choose New England because of Drake Maye." —@danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/pxReRds8bG
The Patriots have requested permission to interview Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, per The MMQB's Albert Breer.
Former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, who also was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for six seasons, should be in the mix as well. NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry reported Monday that "league sources are anticipating that Vrabel's old team will make a hard push to bring him back."
Poor coaching was a problem for the Patriots this past season, but an awful roster with weaknesses at many key positions was the real reason why the team didn't improve its win total from 2023. And until the roster improves in a significant manner, it won't really matter who's coaching the team.
Luckily for the Patriots, they have the salary cap space and draft capital to make meaningful upgrades this offseason.