💥 BREAKING NEWS: Another door closed quietly — and Bears fans are starting to notice ⚡.DH

Another opportunity came and went.

Quietly. Quickly. And in a way that’s starting to feel familiar for Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris.

This time, it was Washington.

Harris interviewed for the Commanders’ defensive coordinator job after Joe Whitt Jr.’s dismissal, a role that appeared tailor-made for his background and connections. He had worked under Dan Quinn in Dallas. He knew the system. He knew the expectations.

Still, Washington went in a different direction — hiring Vikings defensive passing game coordinator Daronté Jones, a Brian Flores disciple with coordinator lineage already stamped on his résumé.

For Harris, it marked the second time this offseason that a coordinator opportunity slipped away after serious consideration. Earlier, Green Bay passed on him for Jonathan Gannon — a decision that stung given Harris’ Hall of Fame playing career with the Packers.

Pattern matters in the NFL.

And the pattern here is becoming uncomfortable.

Al Harris isn’t loud. He isn’t self-promotional. He doesn’t leak interest or campaign for jobs. What he does instead is produce results — the kind that usually fast-track assistants into coordinator roles.

In Dallas, Harris’ defensive backs led the league in interceptions over a four-year span. In Chicago, his first season with the Bears ended with the league’s top interception total again. Under his watch, Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Kevin Byard all led the NFL in picks — all earning All-Pro recognition.

Those aren’t coincidences.

Yet when coordinator openings arise, teams keep circling experience. Play-calling history. Familiar names. Safe profiles.

Harris remains on the outside looking in.

There’s still a chance. Tennessee has scheduled an interview, though that role would likely come without full play-calling authority given Robert Saleh’s defensive pedigree.

The Steelers rumor mill continues to churn — fans want it, social media wants it — but there’s been no confirmed interview, and Pittsburgh appears to be leaning toward former Raiders and Giants coordinator Patrick Graham.

Once again, Harris would be competing with résumé depth rather than on-field results.

That’s the tension.

Is Al Harris ready to be a defensive coordinator? Reasonable people can debate that. He hasn’t called plays. He hasn’t run an entire defense. Those questions aren’t illegitimate.

But at what point does production outweigh hesitation?

In Chicago, Harris has been indispensable. He shepherded Nahshon Wright from practice-squad anonymity to Pro Bowl status. He stabilized a battered secondary that lost Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and others, plugging in replacements without collapse.

That kind of adaptability isn’t theoretical. It’s operational.

And yet, league-wide, Harris remains “the coach nobody talks about.”

That label isn’t accidental. The NFL often rewards visibility over value. Familiarity over development. And while Harris continues to build elite secondaries, others leapfrog him based on perceived readiness rather than proven impact.

For the Bears, this is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, retaining Harris is a win. His influence on the defensive backfield is undeniable. Losing him would be a tangible blow to continuity and development.

On the other hand, there’s a creeping sense that Chicago may be benefiting from a league-wide blind spot.

Because if results actually dictated opportunity, Al Harris wouldn’t still be waiting.

Another door closed.
A few may still open.

But with each near-miss, the question grows louder — not about Harris’ readiness, but about what the NFL truly values when it comes time to choose its next leaders.