When can you start interviewing candidates?

After the Chicago Bears loss, there is only one question on my mind to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

When can this team start interviewing head coach candidates?

And I doubt I’m the only one thinking about it today.

Even with a win against the Seahawks, this would have been a major topic this morning.

The Bears fired Matt Eberflus the day after Thanksgiving. And although Thomas Brown has held the title of interim head coach since then, his time as the team’s head coach will likely end next week against the Green Bay Packers. Once the doors close in Week 18, the regular season will end for the Chicago Football team. And so the search for a new, full-time head coach begins.

A possible timeline for the search for the Chicago Bears’ next head coach

NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy shared this handy guide that provides a complete overview of the rules NFL teams must follow for the interview process and the league’s head coach rules. The Tribune’s Brad Biggs also rounds up some notable dates in his latest edition. I highly recommend you watch both if you want to better understand what the Bears will be going through this offseason.

Here’s what you need to know about the Chicago Bears’ next steps as they embark on their search for a new head coach:

• The Bears can talk shop with coaches who are not currently employed by NFL teams. In other words, if they wanted to discuss opening with Pete Carroll after it was announced that the Super Bowl-winning head coach was interested in working with Caleb Williams, they could do so without it being in the league offices would lead to problems. Ron Rivera? Mike Singletary? Jon Gruden? The coaching candidates whose names are sure to pop up in think pieces, bar conversations and group chats can now interview with the Bears. The same goes for college coaches.

• As for head coaching candidates currently playing on NFL teams, the Bears may begin requesting interviews beginning Jan. 6 and interview those candidates three days after the end of the regular season. Virtual interviews with these candidates must occur before the end of NFL divisional round games (January 19).

• If the Bears wish to interview a prospect whose team has a first-round bye, virtual interviews may begin three days after the conclusion of Week 18 and must occur before the end of the wild card game round (January 16). So we’re looking at either January 7th or 8th, depending on when the team finishes their games.

CHICAGO WEARS head coach candidates

• Virtual interviews with head coach candidates whose current employers are playing on Wild Card Weekend may begin three days after the team’s Wild Card game And must occur before the end of the divisional round.

• TIME LIMITS: Virtual and in-person interviews may not last longer than three hours.

• After the end of the divisional round, teams may begin in-person interviews with candidates from teams whose season has ended. But coaching candidates whose teams make it to the NFC and AFC championship games can’t interview until *AFTER* their team’s season ends.

• January 20 is a notable date because it is the day teams can conduct in-person or virtual interviews with coaching candidates whose teams were eliminated from the postseason.

BN BEARS HEAD COACH CANDIDATE PROFILES: Ben Johnson | Joe Brady | Mike Vrabel

• During the break week between conference championship games and the Super Bowl (January 27-February 2), coaching candidates employed by teams in the Super Bowl will be eligible for second in-person or virtual interviews. Coaching candidates whose teams are in the Super Bowl cannot have an initial interview during this period.

• Finally, teams cannot contact head coach candidates who are coaching in the Super Bowl during Super Bowl week. This year, the no-contact period lasts until February 10th – this day after the Super Bowl. From this point on, the interviews can continue.