What is wrong with Mike Shanahan? People say he did nothing without Elway, but most of his time in Denver was without Elway. The Broncos were barely average in the years before he got there. He won 11 games with Brian Griese and 10+ three years in a row with Jake Plummer (including one 13 win season). He got a pro bowl season out of Cutler and Washington's only playoff appearance in a decade. He's not going to be your coach for the next 10 years, but I think you can do a lot worse than him. And we're basically looking for an unknown guy to match what he has done. He's not awful, but not great either. I would be fine with the hire. He's a professional guy who won't have most of the locker room shenanigans that Trestman allowed. At the worst, he's your coach the next 2 years and if he can't get anything done with Cutler, they are both gone and you start over without both of them. For reference, Shanahan without Elway is 123-121 and 1-5 in the playoffs. Lovie Smith as a Bear was 81-63 and 3-3 in the playoffs. Still can't believe the McCaskeys let Emery fire him (even though I can't say it wasn't the right time to move on). I think at best, he's the coach for 2-4 years. I don't want a coach that's potentially only going to be around for 2 years. And the best chance at continuity to the next coach is his A-hole son. I also think the Bears need to stop catering to Cutler and get the best possible coach for the team and its future. I know people have hope that Cutler is going to turn it around and put the team on his back to multiple playoff appearances and contending seasons, but the Bears should be planning as if that isn't going to happen, because it likely isn't, especially since he might not even be on the team next year. And if he is, he'll have to be really good to be on the team after 2015. That's the argument for trading Cutler now and moving on, I think. If you view the new coach as the next long term direction, and Cutler has his own shelf life, why not start over entirely ASAP?