Bears will reportedly have to battle rival Packers for Vic Fangio's services

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With the hiring of Matt Nagy as the Bears' new head coach, one of the big questions remaining is whether Vic Fangio be back as the team's defensive coordinator.

Well, according to a Tuesday report, the Bears might find themselves in an offseason battle with their chief rivals for Fangio's services. Yes, the Green Bay Packers are trying to put Fangio in green and gold.

Fangio was no longer under contract with the Bears as of early Tuesday morning, meaning they can't stop him from interviewing for jobs with other teams.

Losing Fangio would be tough for a Bears defense that's made big strides under his leadership. The Bears ranked in the top 10 in the league in total defense this past season, allowing an average of 319.1 yards per game to opposing offenses. They ranked seventh in the NFL in pass defense, seventh in scoring defense and 11th in rush defense. Those are impressive numbers considering the amount of injuries the Bears experienced on that side of the ball in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Packers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, ranked 22nd in total defense and 26th in scoring defense under defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who was relieved of his duties on New Year's Day.

Fangio interviewed for the Bears' head-coaching job that ultimately went to Nagy. According to the report, the Bears have interest in keeping Fangio on Nagy's staff. Fangio's been the Bears' defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, prior to which he was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 under Jim Harbaugh.

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