Not to defend the Bears per se, but that used to be more common. The GM role also changed a lot in the past 30 years and became highly player personnel/scouting focused with the advent of the salary cap in the mid 90s. But I don't think the Bears were the last team to adopt a GM title (or reestablish, after firing Finks). A funny alternative history maybe exists where Michael doesn't eff up the McGinnis hiring and stays on as Pres until 2011, when George replaced him. Phillips never becomes CEO and they operate old-school with no GM even longer than they did. But Michael gets demoted and Phillips first big moves as CEO/Pres are the Soldier Field deal and hiring Angelo as GM. Angelo then tries recruiting Saban who turns him down mostly because he wanted GM duties. IIRC, Lovie was seen as like 3rd choice behind Saban and someone else. Fun sequence of events leading to a failed McGinnis hiring and then the best stretch of the Bears in the past 30 years. This made me look back because I don't remember that coaching search too well. Looks like the Bears interviewed Saban, Lovie, Jim Mora Jr, Romeo Crennel, Mike Nolan and Russ Grimm. I think Grimm was #2 and ended up in Washington iirc, or maybe he was from Washington