Coach Lovie Smith will meet with Mike Martz later Monday or Tuesday, sources told CSNChicago.com, and out of that conversation a decision will come as far as the future of the offensive coordinator who has been a lightning rod over his two seasons in Chicago.
The fact that Smith did not express the strong hope that Martz will remain on his staff, as Smith did with special teams coordinator Dave Toub, suggested that Smith will make a change and have his fourth different offensive coordinator going into his ninth season.
But Smith was firm that formal evaluations had not been done. And he was not going to create the impression of a snap decision or one already predetermined, certainly not with Martz, who gave him his shot at being a defensive coordinator while the two were in St. Louis.
Just like a lot of our coaching staff, we did a lot of good things offensively and were evaluating everything and Mikes a part of that, Smith said. So I cant tell you a decision.
Mike is a guy whos been around a few years. I havent had a chance to sit down with Mike to see exactly which way he wants to go, and which way we want to go.
Martz was on record last week that he wants to return, although he turned down an offered extension after last season. And Martz was out of the NFL for all of 2009 before the Bears opened a door for him.
The decision, then, is clearly the Bears.
NFL
I have to sit down with Mike and I havent done that, Smith said. Theres a process I go through each year and I havent done that.