In a surprising move, the Chicago Bears announced today that they will not renew defensive coordinator Ron Rivera's contract, which expires later this month. It comes as a shock because Rivera has been so successful in creating one of the best defensive teams in the NFL. From all appearances, it did not seem that there were any personality conflicts between Rivera and the Bears' brass.
According to reports, the departure is due to both financial and philosophical reasons. If the Bears renew Coach Lovie Smith's contract at the market rate of nearly $5 million per year, the team could not afford to keep Rivera, who reportedly earns $500,000. If he stayed, the Bears would have to pay signficantly more as defensive coordinators in the NFL are earning $1 million or more. That was probably far more than the Bears were willing to pay.
The feeling is that Coach Smith and Rivera were not on the same page. Smith wants to take the Bears in a different direction defensively, and Rivera did not fit into Smith's big picture. But what is more surprising is the timing of the announcement. Why wait until now to announce your intentions to your defensive coordinator after he has interviewed for several head coaching jobs this winter?
The answer is simple. The Bears were hoping Rivera would be offered a head coaching job, so they would not have to give him the pink slip themselves. So when no job offer came, the Bears had no choice but to let Rivera go. Even if they renewed his contract, it would likely be a short-term deal. Some team somewhere would eventually hire him as a head coach, and the Bears did not want to be left holding the bag, so to speak.
I hate to see Rivera go because he has contributed so much to the Bears. But Lovie has his own ideas of what he wants to accomplish, and all signs point to the Bears promoting linebackers coach, Bob Babich to take over. Somehow I think the Bears will be fine
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