Jarrett Payton was five years old when his superstar father, Walter, and the Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985.
Jarrett’s memories of it are fleeting, but Chicagoans have happily filled in the gaps for him over the past 36 years.
As much as Payton loves to reminisce about those Monsters of the Midway, he’s also ready for some fresh excitement.
“This town still talks about the ‘85 Bears, and rightfully so,” Payton, an ex-NFL running back like his late father, told Compare.bet. “They’re the greatest football team I’ve ever seen, and it’s crazy to think about how they still have that impact on this town. I was old enough to understand the 90s and those Bulls runs, with the two three-peats. The World Series, both of them here in Chicago, I remember those.
“But people said during that ‘85 Super Bowl, the town was different. It was a different vibe, because it is a Bears town. I love talking ‘85, but I want to get back to those times. I’m really looking forward to my kids getting to see the Bears win a Super Bowl championship. I want to see another one, too.”
Dec 26th, 1980…
I was @walterpayton & CP’s late #Christmas present. Lord, thank you for blessing me with another year on this amazing earth. 🙏🏽#Bears #ItsMyBirthday pic.twitter.com/K0p1SYQzAm
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) December 26, 2021
The Bears, as presently constructed, are a long way off from those halcyon days. They finished 6-11 this year and fired coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace after the season.
The big question now is what — or more specifically, who — comes next. The organization is in the midst of coaching and general manager interviews, the two most important hires a team can make, and they will determine the trajectory of the franchise.
Chicago has some talented pieces on defense, and that side of the ball has almost always led the way when the organization has been successful, but Payton believes the Bears must opt for a head coach whose top priority is to develop young quarterback Justin Fields.
“We haven’t had a guy with his skillset underneath center here in Chicago — ever,” Payton said. “This guy is different. A guy that throws an unbelievable deep ball, who is going to get better in the intermediate passing game as he gets more comfortable and understands his reads. And his ability to have that 4.4 speed to get outside a play and extend it, or to run the football. This is something we’ve never seen here before. Defense has always been a priority in Chicago, but it’s understanding now that you contend by putting up points in this league.”
If you want to coach the Bears, but don't want Justin Fields then Chicago is not for you.
That's like going to @portilloshotdog and not wanting the Cake Shake.
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) January 19, 2022
The Bears have interviewed six coaching candidates, according to the team: Doug Pederson, Brian Flores, Jim Caldwell, Nathaniel Hackett, Brian Daboll and Matt Eberflus.
Daboll, the Bills’ offensive coordinator, is one of the most intriguing names to Payton.
“I think there’s something there,” Payton said. “The way that he runs his offense, his ability to take Josh Allen since he’s been in Buffalo and really elevate his game is very, very interesting.”
Daboll could conceivably use a similar style in Chicago because Allen and Fields are both big, mobile quarterbacks.
“I see some similarities,” Payton said. “Josh Allen is on another level right now, man. His game is solid. When you have a guy that’s a dual threat, it’s hard to practice that in a short game week to combat that and stop that. There are a lot of similarities in both those guys. When I look at Justin being still so raw, maybe if he was handled a little bit better in his rookie season, we may have seen a little more development. But that time is gone and we can only look toward the future.”
Would be surprising to me to not see Brian Daboll get a second interview. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) January 19, 2022
Nagy was hired to bring a Kansas City Chiefs-like explosiveness to the Bears, but it never happened. The offense finished 20th or lower in efficiency each season of his four-year tenure, according to Football Outsiders.
“A lot of people were sold that Matt Nagy was going to take this Bears offense into the modern day, and that never transpired,” Payton said. “Bears fans are anxious and very upset. Rightfully so. They should be upset that things haven’t worked out, and that the product on the field is not where it should be.”
Teams with quarterbacks on rookie deals have the ability to improve quickly, but the Bears have some work to do. They don’t have a first-round pick this year after trading it in the package for Fields, and the roster is subpar.
“Honestly, there are a lot of holes to fill,” Payton said. “Everybody wants to talk about going to get a coach, like that’s going to change everything. There are still holes that need to be filled on the roster with the way that it was left and constructed by Ryan Pace. He didn’t leave it in a good place. It’s going to be a struggle, but if you can bring in a head coach that gets everything back in order, maybe it doesn’t take as long as some people are saying.”
Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores is another candidate Payton believes could be a fit for head coach, although he has some questions about the pairing.
“Brian Flores is interesting, just because what I know about him, and the conversations that I’ve had with people close to the Dolphins organization — former players of the Dolphins,” Payton said. “He’s a good guy, but the kind of person he is, does it mix with the higher-ups here in Chicago? That’s one of the big concerns. And then, also, his handling of Tua Tagovailoa. Him not really wanting Tua — the biggest question Bears fans have is, what happens if he doesn’t like Justin Fields? Listen, that’s a valid question.”
It doesn’t seem Brian Flores was comfortable hitching his future to Tua Tagovailoa. Is that what Chris Grier is doing? Is the double-down dangerous or would there be another chance to try another QB?
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 15, 2022
The Bears have interviewed nine candidates to replace Pace as general manager: Glenn Cook, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Champ Kelly, Jeff Ireland, Monti Ossenfort, Joe Schoen, Ed Dodds, Eliot Wolf and Ran Carthon.
Payton is hoping the Bears and every other team with openings are doing their due diligence when it comes to candidates. The head coaches and general managers in the NFL are predominantly white even though the players are about 70 percent black.
“I hope we’re heading that way, with more diversity, and just more open-mindedness,” Payton said. “There are a lot of dudes I talk to —– and I’m talking all different races — that really deserve an opportunity, and they haven’t gotten it. We’re talking about guys with over 20 years of experience, that are with successful organizations and have helped in drafting studs, Pro Bowlers. And these guys aren’t even getting interviews. I’m like, ‘What is wrong with the system?’ When it comes down to it, I feel like the whole system needs to be fixed.”
Whoever the Bears choose will ultimately be judged by how well they can compete with Fields as the cornerstone. Even though there are myriad questions, Payton believes that is a good position to be in.
.@justnfields ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? 🤯#SFvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/o9vUGJL5h5
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 31, 2021
“Justin is the future,” Payton said. “The flashes — the Steelers game and the (22-yard touchdown) run against the 49ers — those moments that flashed in front of people’s eyes really gave them hope that Justin has the ability to be special. I believe it in my heart. I believe he is special. He just needs the right coaching. He needs more help, more superstars, more playmakers around him to be successful.”
Payton is anxiously waiting for that success to be reached. So is the whole city of Chicago.
“This town is split when it comes to baseball, because you’ve got the Sox and you’ve got the Cubs,” Payton said. “The Bulls are back on track, and everybody loves the Bulls. The Michael Jordan effect is still going on. But the one thing you can talk about in this town every single day, on sports talk radio, on TV, you can talk Bears any day and it will light up the phone lines, people will tune in. First and foremost, this is a Bears town.”
