NEWSLETTER
Only in the wild, wild AFC West can a team go from the cusp of hiring Kliff Kingsbury to the brink of bringing in Luke Getsy.
What was once a gig that was lining up to go to Kingsbury is now landing in Getsy’s lap. The MMQB’s Albert Breer reports on the latest in the Las Vegas Raiders’ search for an offensive coordinator:
PREVIOUSLY: Luke Getsy Pops Up as Raiders OC Candidate | Why are the Raiders Interviewing Luke Getsy?
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t see it coming because I didn’t either.
After all, Getsy interviewed with the Patriots (and Saints) in addition to the Raiders. So maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised.
In Friday’s set of Bullets, we wrote about Kingsbury going to the Raiders because NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo was reporting that the two sides were expected to get a deal done. But on Saturday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Kingsbury was taking his name out of the mix for the Raiders offensive coordinator gig. And in the afternoon, Schefter chimed in again to share that Kingsbury was a leading candidate to become the Washington Commanders’ OC. What a chaotic few hours we had this afternoon. And it is all leading to Luke Getsy landing in Las Vegas.
Seriously … who saw this coming?
What significance does Luke Getsy’s move to the Raiders have on the Bears?
The first thing I thought of when I saw the Albert Breer tweet was that the Bears would save some cash with Getsy’s hiring by the Raiders because of contract offsets. Then, I chuckled. But then I stopped mid-chuckle because I realized there are some potential Bears ramifications — most notably, the potential Justin Fields effect.
The Las Vegas Raiders make sense as an ideal landing spot for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (should the team decide to draft a quarterback with the first pick). Vegas needs a quarterback, but isn’t in a position to take one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. And while Fields has things to work on, he would be an upgrade from what the team currently has on its roster. Plus, Fields on what would be a 1-2 year deal could serve as a bridge for the Raiders and buy management time to find a quarterback prospect to develop. But with the Raiders hiring Getsy, I’m not sure if that fit makes sense anymore.
We just watched two years of Luke Getsy failing to consistently make the most out of Justin Fields’ talent. It felt like we spent two years watching Getsy try to put square pegs in round holes while trying to make Fields something he wasn’t as a QB. This isn’t to say that Getsy can’t learn from his past. And I wouldn’t put it past Fields to use the offseason to turn weaknesses into strengths. But those two reuniting in Vegas sounds like a gamble that would make an oddsmaker on The Strip blush.
Or maybe a Vegas reunion makes sense. For what it’s worth, Luke Getsy laid out the areas where Justin Fields made improvements in 2023. Perhaps the two could make it work after leaving Halas Hall. It wouldn’t be the first time someone figured it out after leaving the Bears. Then again, it would be a first for a QB and an OC.
To be clear, I’m not saying that the Raiders hiring Getsy takes them out of the market for a potential Fields trade. But the likelihood just took a hit.
As for the OC who never was in Vegas, we’ll be watching his landing spot with great interest. Because if Kliff Kingsbury ends up with the Washington Commanders, whispers of a Bears-Commanders swap of top picks will only grow. Stay tuned.
