Jim Caldwell has a plan for Justin Fields if hired as Chicago Bears HC

The Chicago Bears completed a second interview with former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell on Tuesday. While Caldwell has already interviewed with the Bears previously regarding their head coaching vacancy, the interview had extra significance as it was with the Bears’ new general manager.

Former Kansas City Chiefs executive Ryan Poles was officially hired as the Bears’ general manager on Tuesday and interviewing Caldwell was his first order of business. Caldwell has been the most polarizing figure on the Bears’ list of candidates to fill their head coach vacancy.

Perhaps the reason why Caldwell’s inclusion as a candidate has been most criticized is because of his affiliation with Bill Polian. Polian is the consultant that the Bears hired to originally oversee the team’s search for a new general manager and head coach.

With Poles now in place, Bears fans are hoping that the general manager isn’t forced to be paired with Caldwell. Caldwell was hired by Polian in 2009 to be the then head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

The other reason why Caldwell’s candidacy has been met with skepticism is because of his age. Caldwell is currently 67 years old and there have been questions over whether the head coach would be invested for the long term. That question looms large for the Bears as they have a second-year quarterback in Justin Fields and a 36-year old general manager in Poles.

Despite the difference in age, Caldwell does have a plan in place if he does become the head coach of the Bears. Jordan Schultz, the podcast partner of Bears’ wide receiver Allen Robinson, reported on Wednesday that the Bears’ interview with Caldwell went successful and the head coaching candidate has a plan in place for Fields.

The Chicago Bears might be hiring someone that is ready for Justin Fields.

The idea of Caldwell having a plan in place for Fields should certainly be an encouraging sign. The main reason why former Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy was fired is that not only did he not develop an offensive game plan that centered around Fields but he never had a plan in place to develop Fields.

The idea of Caldwell already having a blueprint for an offensive system that will highlight the strengths of what Fields does best would certainly be the best thing for the Bears’ franchise.

The other encouraging sign is that the Bears are impressed with what Caldwell has in mind for Fields. That is a direct signal that despite Nagy’s incompetence, the Chicago Bears feel that Fields still has the potential to be a franchise quarterback.