After the Thanksgiving day debacle, Matt Eberflus was on thin ice. Failing to call a timeout against the Lions, not only cost the Bears a win, it proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Eberflus’ run as Chicago’s HC. For the first time in their history, they decided to fire a coach mid-season, hoping for a change in fortunes, handing the reigns to OC Thomas Brown for the rest of the season. But if the first game of the post-Eberflus era is anything to go by, the franchise needs someone to fix their long-time issues.

Against an injury-hit San Francisco 49ers, the Bears were humiliated 38-13 and have now lost seven games in a row. Caleb Williams had just 134 passing yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-24 passing, taking seven sacks for 46 yards lost, in what was a forgettable outing for the rookie quarterback. If the Bears have to get the best out of Williams they will have to look beyond their current set up and one name has been thrown in the ring by RGIII.

Lincoln Riley hasn’t had a great time with USC this season. The program has a 6-6 record, having regressed from the previous seasons and there are been vocal calls for him to be fired. Not many days have passed since the Fire Riley hashtag was at the top of the Twitter trending list. The cry hit an all-time high when Miller Moss, the key quarterback of the Trojans, announced his intent to hit the transfer portal. But for USC parting ways with Riley may not be an easy decision, given his massive reported buyout of $90 million.

It is difficult to see him leave the program, having insisted that he’s “at home,” not so long ago. But the chance to reunite with his Heisman Trophy-winning QB? That sounds enticing and this is what RGIII has on his mind.

 “I think you have to bring in someone who knows Caleb Williams… For Lincoln Riley, it didn’t work out like they wanted in USC and I don’t believe that Lincoln would succeed in Chicago as the head coach but he wanted to come to the NFL and be with the quarterback that he owns a Heisman trophy with; you make him the offensive coordinator”, Robert Griffin III, said on Pardon My Take podcast, with Dan Catz giving his nod saying, ”That would be fine with me..”

Lincoln Riley brought Caleb Williams to Oklahoma as the number one dual-threat quarterback in the 2021 high school class and never regretted his decision. Williams nailed his true freshman season with the Sooners with an impressive stat. However, as Riley jumped ship to USC, his boy followed suit and stepped into the Trojans camp to continue his stellar chemistry with the coach.

The prolific kid cliched the Heisman Trophy in the 2022 season. While Riley and Williams missed playing in the College Football Playoff together, they set top-tier standards for the view coach-quarterback duo in the division. The outshot glorified Riley’s coaching genius and, on the other hand, cemented Williams’ spot as the top pick in the 2024 draft. As the former Trojans QB is finding his feet in the NFL, Riley ending up coaching him again could just be the thing needed to unlock Williams’ full potential in Chicago.

However, even if the Bears are to pursue Riley, recruiting him will be far from easy, given his buyout and the fact that he intends to stay with the Trojans for the foreseeable future.

Lincoln Riley deems the USC Trojans as his home

Fox analyst Paul Finebaum might have said he would have fired Riley because he did absolutely nothing for South Carolina in his largely unproductive tenure. The coach does not necessarily have to buy it.

The UCF Knights wanted to know about the potential availability of USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, as The Athletic exclusive reported. But guess what? Riley dismissed any chances of him jumping ship. During the National Signing Day press conference, the USC HC said, “I tell them I’m a USC Trojan. I’m at the place I want to be. It’s a non-starter, it’s a non-issue. I’m home,” when asked how he was coping with the other suitors approaching him (schools).

The program has the No. 17 recruiting class in the nation and No. 5 in the Big Ten, per the On3 industry rankings. Hence, a chance to prove himself and deliver on the promise that got him the USC job in the first place will be hard for Riley to pass. Still, the allure of coaching in the NFL and reuniting with the player he guided to success at the collegiate level could prove to be too hard to resist. Should the Bears listen to RGIII and make to move for Riley? Let us know what you think.