A primer on the Bears' timeline to hire a head coach

Bears interim coach Thomas Brown’s job won’t be done when the game against the Packers ends on Sunday.

On Monday, he will lead exit interviews with players.

“How they played, how they performed but also how they responded to adversity,” Brown said. “It can also transfer to other areas of their life. I’ll have a chance to meet with those guys one-on-one.”

He could end up with another meeting — interviewing for the Bears’ head-coaching job.

“We’ll see what happens after the game,” Brown said.

The same goes for the league’s other head-coaching candidates, from Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores to Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The Bears interviewed Kingsbury for their offensive coordinator job in January and are expected to show interest in him for their head-coaching vacancy.

Kingsbury is expected to interview for jobs this offseason, though he played it coy Thursday when asked about it by Commanders reporters. He merely said he wanted to return to being a head coach “at some point.”

The Bears have NFL rules to follow when they begin their interview process. In recent years, the NFL has created a round of virtual interviews meant to slow down the process and try to ensure that coaches participating in the playoffs remain focused. Teams can’t meet in-person with a candidate employed by any other NFL team until Jan. 20.

Here’s a primer on the league-mandated timeline:

Requests: The Bears are allowed to interview in-house candidates or coaches not employed by NFL teams before the end of the regular season Sunday — and after it. Starting Monday, they can begin requesting interviews with coaches affiliated with other NFL teams.

Virtual reality: Any interview the Bears conduct with a candidate employed by another NFL club must be conducted virtually until Round 2 of the playoffs ends Jan. 19.

For coaches not in the playoffs: The Bears can begin virtual interviews with coaching candidates whose teams did not make the playoffs starting three days after their last regular-season game — either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on whether a team played Saturday or Sunday in Week 18.

For coaches with a Round 1 playoff bye: The Bears can begin virtual interviews with coaches whose teams earned a first-round bye — the Chiefs in the AFC and the Lions or Vikings in the NFC — on Wednesday. They must conclude those interviews before the end of Round 1 of the playoffs. Johnson, Flores and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are all candidates to receive a Round 1 bye.

For coaches whose teams are playing in Round 1: The Bears can interview coaches who play in Round 1 virtually three days after their first playoff game. They must finish those interviews by the end of Round 2 on Jan. 19. Kingsbury’s Commanders will play in Round  1, as will offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s Bills. Either offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s Buccaneers or offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s Falcons will, too.

Face-to-face: Starting Jan. 20, the Bears can conduct in-person interviews with any coaching candidate whose NFL season has ended.

Super Bowl participants: In the bye week before the Super Bowl, the Bears can conduct in-person interviews with candidates whose teams are set to play in the game. The Bears must have previously interviewed that coach virtually. Teams are prohibited from contacting those coaches during Super Bowl week, though, and cannot agree to a contract until after the Super Bowl.

Keep it short: Virtual and in-person interviews with teams whose seasons are still alive cannot exceed three hours, a rule the NFL enacted last year. In-person interviews must take place in the coach’s home city or a location approved by the coach’s current club.

The Rooney Rule: The NFL mandates that teams must conduct an in-person interview with two external head-coaching candidates that are persons of color and/or women. Brown would not count — he’s employed by the Bears.