Chicago Bears: Likely Role For New “Adviser” Brad Childress
By Erik Lambert
The Chicago Bears felt their new offensive coaching staff needed a little more seasoning. So they lured NFL lifer Brad Childress out of retirement.
The former Minnesota Vikings head coach has a long and proven track record as one of the top offensive minds in the league. He’s had a hand in the peak success years of greats like Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, and Alex Smith. Over the past five years, he’d be working with the Kansas City Chiefs. Most recently it was as offensive coordinator in 2016 before becoming the assistant head coach in 2017. Neither of those jobs will be his in Chicago though.
This begs the question, what exactly will he be doing as in an “offensive advisory” role? First and foremost it could be expected that he’ll have a voice in the room to help quarterback Mitch Trubisky continue to grow. That was why Matt Nagy was hired, it’s why Mark Helfrich was hired, and it’s why Childress was hired. That said there are likely some responsibilities he’ll be given. It’s a matter of figuring out what they’ll be.
For an idea, one might choose to look back at what Childress did from 2013 to 2015 as a “spread game analyst” for the Chiefs. Nagy may seek the same responsibilities for him now.
Childress will be the one who seeks ways for Bears to stay ahead of curve
Back in 2013, Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride asked what exactly Childress’ role on the team was. There was a complicated answer behind it, but the jist of it was this:
"“I think, number one, trends around the league – what people are doing,” Childress said, via quotes from the Chiefs. “I do some advance work. For instance, in our short week against Philadelphia, coach [Reid] said, ‘Why don’t you get a jump on them?’ Because we weren’t going to have much time. We came right back in Monday and practiced with the guys. I could be looking at somebody who’s underperforming, or overperforming – if you will – why they’re having their successes. John Dorsey may give me some quarterbacks to look at, which he did when I first came in here, some wide receivers to look at, grade. It’s a little bit of everything, it’s a hodgepodge.”"
In other words, Childress, with his experienced and trained eyes, will be tasked with keeping an eye on the league for new things teams might be doing. Things that the Bears might look to employ for their own benefit in the future. The Philadelphia Eagles proved the value of this during their Super Bowl run. Their iconic trick play pass to Nick Foles for a touchdown was actually stolen from something the Bears had done the year before.
Next: Chicago Bears 2018 Mock Offseason: Time to Wheel and Deal
They say it’s a copycat league and the more successful teams are the ones who copy the quickest. Chicago has been so behind the times on offense for decades. It’s good to know they’re assigning somebody who’s personal job will be to make sure it no longer stays that way.