The Bernstein Brief: Will The Bears Lose Adam Gase?
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) NFL teams with just two wins in seven games rarely fear losing a coordinator to a head coaching job elsewhere.
But these aren't usual times in the league, and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase is in a unique situation. He was all set to take over the 49ers last offseason after interviewing for several openings but ultimately stepped away when heavy-handed ownership interfered with his choices of assistants. Gase wanted to keep Vic Fangio in San Francisco to run his defense, but Jim Tomsula was forced on him instead, according to reports. It ended with both Gase and Fangio fleeing to the Bears at the last minute and Tomsula over-promoted.
So Gase was already viewed around the NFL as ready for the bigger responsibility and remains so despite the Bears' struggles. He's being credited, too, for Jay Cutler's relatively stable and efficient play despite the rearranged offensive line and injuries at receiver.
That's why we're not surprised to see Gase's name already connected in rumors to the Titans and Colts, one team that has fired its coach and another that probably will. There will be several other top NFL positions open, and the 10 college jobs in play guarantee more movement.
We know two things at least: Gase wants to be an NFL head coach, and it's likely he will soon be afforded a good chance to try again.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.