This is a bit of a stretch, but Albert Breer actually makes some connections here that could make sense. Imagine if Ted Phillips were able to lure Bill Polian to Chicago as the new General manager. Breer suggests that the stars could possibly align that would lead to Lovie Smith being ousted, and Jeff Fisher coming on board.
Long shot, right? The McCaskeys have always seemed to believe in Lovie Smith, and it may be a tough task judging his development of players if Jerry Angelo was indeed guilty of giving Smith a bad hand to begin with. The team seems to endorse Smith, but Breer says that a hot shot GM like Polian might just come in and give old Lovie the boot, especially considering Jeff Fisher being currently unemployed.
Fisher played safety for the Bears (1981-85), has maintained a relationship with ownership and, as a bonus, happens to like the team's quarterback, Jay Cutler, quite a bit. Cutler and former Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, who passed away in September, worked together in Denver in 2006 and '07 and were very close. And the Titans were split over Matt Leinart and Vince Young in 2006, with Bud Adams pulling rank and taking Young, and passed on Cutler, who went to college in the Titans' backyard at Vandervbilt. So Fisher's aware of the player Cutler's become.
The club has said Lovie Smith will remain the coach for 2012, and he deserves a mulligan for 2011, having lost Cutler and Matt Forte for the stretch run. If a younger executive type, such as Eric DeCosta or Les Snead comes in, then the coaching situation likely won't change. But if the Bears swing for the fences with a Bill Polian type, it's hard to rule anything out. And Polian and Fisher are close, having competed in the AFC South for a number of years.
The bottom line: Fisher will keep an eye on Halas Hall. As one source with knowledge of his thinking said, "That's the one he's always wanted."
Interesting. Stay tuned...