It's not a big surprise at this point, but the first report of John Fox's pending firing has surfaced.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Fox is expected to be fired following the season finale in Minnesota on Sunday. Rapoport also reported that Ryan Pace's job is safe and that team president Ted Phillips "has already been doing homework on prospective candidates."
Fox's ousting has been talked about as a growing possibility as the Bears limped to another losing season. A win in Minnesota would match the record he posted in his first year in charge with the Bears, which isn't the progress Fox has argued the team has made.
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He is 14-33 in his three years leading the Bears. He had a winning record in both of his previous stops (73-71 in nine years in Carolina and 46-18 in four years in Denver). Each of his three seasons with the Bears will be among the worst four seasons of his NFL head coaching career, making them the anomaly of his career.
With what sounds like one game remaining in the John Fox era, the search for a new Bears coach will become the first focus of the offseason.