Hey, there’s been no indication Lovie Smith’s job is in jeopardy quite yet, but let’s just speculate about another coach now, shall we?!

From Haugh at the Trib:

An NFL Network report Monday night cited a source that said the idea of coaching the Bears or Texans “would excite,” Cowher if the job becomes open.

That’ll simply make the anti-Lovie contingent among Bears fans even more antsy. But the same report said Cowher would command in the range of $10 million per-season - a staggering price even for a head coach with a Super Bowl ring.

But realistically, Smith still has two years and $11 million remaining after this season on his contract. Can you see the Bears paying a coach $10 million per year? Didn’t think so.

Cowher certainly seems like he wants to get back into coaching again. So much so that he told the Bills this week he’d be up for discussing their head coaching position now that Dick Jauron has been peaced out, but  only after the season. Which means he’s shopping around. Which means he’s likely monitoring the Bears’ season very carefully, seeing if they continue to slip, and seeing if Lovie’s job security becomes less secure.

As for Cowher as the Bears’ new leader? Yeah, he’s a good coach. Yeah, he has a Super Bowl ring. Yeah, his fiery demeanor would be a nice change of pace from Lovie’s even-keeled style, and would fit in better with Chicago Bears Football.

But if that’s how much he’s commanding, I’m not sure it’s really in the organization’s best interest to hire him. There’s certainly other options out there, ones that can bring a lot to table for less money.

And if they bring in a name guy like Cowher, there’s going to be high expectations. And if they’re not met early and often, we might be in the same place again in a few years.