The Chicago Bears announced on Tuesday that they have hired Jeremy Bates to be their QB coach and passing game coordinator.
Seriously what the hell, I thought they wanted nothing to do with him.
Less than a month ago league sources were saying that the Bears had no interest in Bates. They were also saying the relationship between Bates and Jay Cutler was being over played.
Bates was the QB coach in Denver for two seasons while Jay Cutler was with the Broncos. During the 2008 season Bates reportedly took on more of the play calling duties and Cutler had his best season as a pro throwing for over 4500 yards and 25 touchdowns.
You may remember Bates was in the running for the Bears offensive coordinator job two years ago but turned it down to take the same job with the Seattle Seahawks. The job ended up going to Mike Martz and you know the rest.
What you may not know is that Bates was fired after one season in Seattle and didn’t coach anywhere last season.
Much like two years ago when the Bears denied interest in Martz they did the same with Bates this time around. They went around and interviewed a bunch of guys just to end up where we all thought they would all along.
Jay Cutler had this to say about the Bates hire:
“I’m very excited to be working with Jeremy Bates again. We got the right guy for the job.”
Lovie Smith had this to say about the newest addition to his staff:
“His history with Jay was a big thing, and not just history with Jay but a good history, a productive history with him helping Jay as a quarterback. I did a lot of research, and I think Jeremy is a perfect fit. Did we look at other guys? Yes, we did. Every time we have an opening, I look at everybody available. I even waited to see who would be available so I could see what the pool really looked like. Even though we had only brought in one guy (former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson), I had been talking to a lot of guys. But in the end, it was Jeremy by a landslide.”
Reportedly Smith interviewed Bates last week in Tampa and then Bates met with offensive coordinator Mike Tice sometime after that.
Why does it seem like the Bears and Lovie Smith are always settling?
Whether it’s the offensive side or defensive side of the ball it seems like year after year coaches say no to the opportunity to be part of Smith’s staff. Could this be the Ron Rivera effect?
Shouldn’t Tice have been leading the search for the guy he is going to work with?
It just seems like the Bears continue to make mistake after mistake. Two years ago they hired Tice before hiring Martz. They fired Jerry Angelo and then came up with a plan of what they wanted.
I haven’t even mentioned repeating the same mistake of forcing a GM to keep on a head coach. I honestly could go on all day about the Bears’ mistakes but I won’t.
Do you think the hiring of Bates was a good one?
Can he and Tice co-exist?
Sound off below.
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How does this move make the Bears even more of a joke? Didn’t new GM Emery say that the Bears wont show their cards to the public anymore? It’s understandable to think that maybe they just settled on Bates. But as you pointed out, look at Cutlers numbers with him in Denver. Bates had an aging QB in Seattle with no weapons around him. Didnt have a chance. Here, now, we have a whole offseason to see what Emery can bring in to help out Cutler, Tice and even Bates to build a strong and more dynamic offense. As a lifelong Bears fan I have to kind of accept that they dont do things the way other organizations do, but look at where we are under Smith since he took over and where we were when Wanny was in charge and when Dicky boy was in charge. 3 division titles, one NFC title and 2 NFC championship games. If things dont work out this year, i would say its time to fire Ted Phillips and Lovie, and start anew.
This was the year to clean house not next year. Philips job is safe because any good president would want his GM who would then hire his own coach.
Why do we have to accept that the Bears are run ass backwards. and with Lovie record it don’t mean a thing unless you got that ring
7-3 before Cutler got hurt. 1-5 after. Doesnt seem like it was Lovie as much as the man building the team, the man who got fired, the man who couldnt build depth because he couldnt draft. Lovie sent a team to the SB with Rex Grossman at QB. Thats pretty impresssive. Took a team with no o-line or receivers to the NFC title game. Give the man some playmakers, some depth at skill positions and at QB and hes a super bowl head coach. Bates was a smart hire because he knows Cutler, worked with Cutler. Nevermind that “sources say they werent interested in Bates” he was the right guy at the right time. Before i judge, I have to wait and see what Emery does this first offseason..