The Chicago Bears are getting ready for what they hope will be a long playoff run. But while Chicago is gearing up for Saturday night’s rubber match with the Green Bay Packers, the rest of the NFL continues to turn as teams shake up their coaching staffs this week.
The day after the conclusion of the regular season has been dubbed “Black Monday” as coaching staffs find out their fate, but it came one day late for the Washington Commanders. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Commanders fired offensive coordinator Kliff Kingbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. as they try to move on from a 5-12 campaign.
While Kingsbury’s dismissal won’t mean much to the Bears, the firing of Whitt should be on their radar as it’s a possible prelude to defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator Al Harris leaving Chicago to reunite with Dan Quinn in Washington.
Bears’ Harris Prime Candidate to Reunite with Dan Quinn in Washington
Harris is in his first season with the Bears after spending the last four seasons as a defensive backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys. While the 51-year-old has been a great addition to the Chicago staff, it also came after learning under Quinn, who was Dallas’ defensive coordinator at the time and remains the Commanders’ head coach after Tuesday’s shakeup.
Together, Quinn and Harris oversaw a Cowboys’ secondary that allowed plenty of yardage but had a knack for making big plays. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland benefited greatly from this partnership, earning All-Pro selections in 2021 and 2023, respectively. However, the two parted ways as Quinn left for Washington before the 2024 season and Harris left Dallas when Mike McCarthy was not retained after that campaign.
The move has been great not only for Harris but also for the Bears’ defense. Harris helped Chicago navigate injuries to Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson and coaxed a career year out of previous Cowboys draft pick Nahshon Wright. Kevin Byard also thrived with an NFL-best seven interceptions, and Harris helped Chicago rank first as a team in interceptions (23) and turnover percentage (18.3 percent).
Comparing this to the Commanders, Harris could be exactly what Quinn needs to keep his job. Washington finished tied for 25th with eight interceptions this season, and their 5.3 percent turnover rate was the second-worst in the NFL behind the New York Jets (1.6 percent), who became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without an interception.
The Commanders also allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game this season (242.5) and third-highest yards per attempt (8.1), emphasizing someone who can help the secondary for Quinn’s next defensive coordinator.
Bears fans have been bracing for this for a while, and even though the secondary has shown cracks toward the end of the year, Harris’s extended track record shows that a promotion is in order. With current defensive coordinator Dennis Allen unlikely to leave, Harris probably has to go elsewhere to make that happen, and Quinn may have opened up the opportunity with his moves on Tuesday.