Bears Fans Boo Ownership Amid Coaching Chaos, Agent Influence Scrutinized

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears‘ 2024 season has been marred by frustration, as fans voiced their discontent with ownership during a Week 11 game at Soldier Field. The boos erupted when beloved kick returner Devin Hester, recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, mentioned the McCaskey family during his speech. The Bears, who had lost three straight games and fired their first-year offensive coordinator, were in the midst of another disappointing season.

By late December, the frustration reached a boiling point. During the Bears’ home finale, a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, fans chanted “Sell the team!” as the Prime Video postgame panel dissected the team’s struggles. The Bears had already fired head coach Matt Eberflus after a Thanksgiving Day meltdown against the Detroit Lions, marking the first midseason coaching change in the franchise’s traditionally conservative history.

Since George McCaskey became chairman in 2011, the Bears have cycled through four general managers and six head coaches, including interim coach Thomas Brown. Eberflus’ firing followed a pattern of failed coaching hires, many of whom were represented by agent Trace Armstrong and his agency, Athletes First. Armstrong, a former Bears defensive end, has had significant influence over the team’s hiring process, representing two fired head coaches (Matt Nagy and Eberflus), three offensive coordinators, and current general manager Ryan Poles.

“I’ve never seen one agent have so much influence on one team and had so little success,” said a coaching agent who requested anonymity. “And we all kind of shake our heads like, have they not figured this out yet?”

The NFL has taken notice of the growing influence of agents like Armstrong, who is one of six coaching agents representing multiple head coaches, coordinators, or general managers for the same team. The league has expressed concern about “package deals,” where agents place multiple clients in coaching or front office roles with the same team, potentially limiting opportunities for minority candidates.

In February 2023, the NFL held a closed-door meeting with coaching agents, including Armstrong, to discuss hiring equity. The league’s data revealed that of 24 coaches and general managers identified as part of “package deals,” only four (16.6%) were people of color. The NFL has since encouraged teams to broaden their hiring processes and avoid relying on a small group of influential agents.

As the Bears prepare for another coaching search, the influence of Armstrong and Athletes First remains a topic of scrutiny. With new team president Kevin Warren overseeing football operations, the franchise faces pressure to break the cycle of failed hires and restore faith among its fan base.