Report: Jay Rodgers to Leave for Role with Los Angeles Chargers

This is certainly not the news we wanted to hear in Chicago...

Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are set to lose their defensive line coach Jay Rodgers to the Los Angeles Chargers.

His new role has not been confirmed yet, but in all likelihood, he will be the Chargers’ new Defensive Coordinator. Jay Rodgers was an internal candidate for the Bears with the same vacancy. Now, he reunites with former Bears OLB coach Brandon Staley as they look to use their sledgehammer named Joey Bosa to wreck QBs across the AFC.

To say “this is a big loss,” in itself, is an understatement.

He is one of the very best coaches in his position group in the NFL, by a considerable margin. In Chicago alone we’ve seen his incredible work touch every level of the depth chart. From the big-time stars in Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, to up-and-coming studs in Bilal Nichols and Roy Robertson-Harris, even the rotational guys found off the street have played well when called upon.

Originally arriving to the Chicago Bears with Vic Fangio and John Fox in 2015, we have seen a good amount of consistency in effort, production, and gap discipline. He also has a coaching background with quarterbacks, and has long been groomed for a DC position. Whomever is hired as the new Bears D-line coach will have majorly big shoes to fill.

Meanwhile, Sean Desai appears as the lone in-house candidate at Halas Hall, with no recent mentioning of Mark DeLeone or Ted Monachino getting the nod. Combined with the growing list of external candidates — Jonathan Gannon, George Edwards, James Bettcher, and Mike Singletary have all interviewed for the DC job — and it suggests we might be hiring someone from the outside as the new Big Boss on defense.

Stay tuned....