Adam Schefter: Bears' decision to interview Kliff Kingsbury is 'intriguing' given tie to Caleb Williams

Holding the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year, the Chicago Bears find themselves facing another pivotal offseason. Last year, they traded that selection to the Carolina Panthers, and now have it again after Carolina went just 2-15 this past season.

Now, Chicago is facing a bigger decision than last year. The franchise once again is pondering what to do with Justin Fields, who has been up and down to start his NFL career. The Bears still haven’t made a call on his fifth-year option, but Caleb Williams is there for the taking.

Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Chicago was interviewing Kliff Kingsbury for its offensive coordinator vacancy. He has a close connection to Williams, serving as a senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach at USC in 2023 after four years as the Arizona Cardinals head coach.

Kingsbury joins a growing list of candidates for the Bears’ OC spot, including the Seattle Seahawks’ Shane Waldron and former Baltimore Ravens OC Greg Roman, but it’s an interesting choice because of how well he knows Williams.

“What makes this so intriguing is that Kliff Kingsbury worked at USC directly with Caleb Williams. The two have a good relationship,” Schefter said on NFL Live. “The Bears have the No. 1 overall pick and obviously, strongly will consider taking Caleb Williams. And now, if nothing else, they’ll be able to sit down with Kingsbury and pick his brain about Caleb Williams, what it might be like to work with him, which would reflect on what they potentially could do with Justin Fields. Lots of ramifications to this one, single interview.

“Now, it’s just an interview. Let’s see what happens if he winds up getting the offensive coordinator job in Chicago. That would lead to a lot more speculation. But for now, the Bears certainly are keeping all options open and exploring all avenues about what to do with their offensive coordinator job and the No. 1 overall pick.”

The Bears have a huge decision ahead with Caleb Williams, Justin Fields

Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after transferring to USC from Oklahoma. Although he had a rough go in 2023, he still put up solid numbers with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns along with 142 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Chicago now has to compare Williams’ college performance with Fields’ showing over his first three years in the NFL — which hasn’t been smooth sailing.

Fields’ rookie year came under Matt Nagy, who was let go at season’s end, and he learned a new scheme under now-former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. He showed off his ability to make plays with his legs in 2022, rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns, but only completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,242 yards.

In 2023, Fields took a step forward as a passer, throwing for 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns over 13 starts — he missed four games with a thumb injury. But it was still an up-and-down year, and now, the Bears have the chance to reset the contract clock by taking Williams atop the board.

It’s not likely to be a cut-and-dry decision for Chicago, and the offensive coordinator decision could be an indicator into the front office’s thinking. Suffice to say, this conversation isn’t going away anytime soon.