The Bears will have a major vacancy on their coaching staff after defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano decided to retire, NFL Network reported Tuesday.
Defensive coordinator is an incredibly important hire for the Bears. Under offensive-minded head coach Matt Nagy, that position has been autonomous. Hiring a new coordinator could also mean significant turnover among position coaches.
Pagano’s future likely would’ve been uncertain heading into the offseason anyway after he inherited a defense that led the NFL in takeaways and fewest points allowed in a dominant 2018 season under Vic Fangio, and by the end of 2020 no longer had it at that level.