The most likely coordinator candidate, who could potentially remain on the staff of new Chicago Bears coach Matt Abeflus, is leaving.
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers, meaning the Bears will have to adjust to continue the success they’ve had in the past four seasons.
Tabor’s division was ranked seventh in Football Outsiders’ 2021 rankings and ninth in the longstanding system designed by Rick Gosselin. For the fourth year in a row, Tabor’s division produced a Pro Bowl player as returning Jakeem Grant was selected to the NFC team. He is the third return to the Pro Bowl after Cordarrell Patterson and Tariq Cohen.
The Bears have improved their performance on special teams this season despite losing to Patterson in free agency with the Atlanta Falcons. He was the best hitter in the league and one of the best hitters in the NFL.
Tabor has been with the Bears for the past four seasons.
Since signing Cairo Santos, the Bears have also achieved consistency in footwork. He made 56 of 62 (90.3%) field goal attempts over the past two seasons and set a franchise record in 2020 when he made 93.8% (30 of 32) of his field goal attempts.
Tabor was the Cleveland Browns’ special teams coordinator for seven seasons after serving as an assistant special teams coach under Dave Toub from 2008 to 2010. Although Tabor worked for the Browns with several head coaches, he was not the best choice for Eberflux.
League sources say Eberflus is looking to hire Rich Bisaccia, who ended this season as interim coach for the Las Vegas Raiders after John Gruden stepped down. Bisaccia was the special teams coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, and Dallas Cowboys, with whom he worked in the same state as Eberflus.
The Raiders have interviewed Bisacci for the head coach position, but he will be available if he is not selected. Several media outlets are reporting that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels may be a candidate for the position.
