Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus: Bears Evaluating Lineup, Coaching Changes

November 11th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

After the Bears’ Week 10 loss, a new round of questions emerged about offensive changes being made. Head coach Matt Eberflus left the door open to Shane Waldron losing play-calling responsibilities, although a final decision on that front has yet to be made.

“There will be changes, adjustments being made,” Eberflus said when speaking to the media on Monday (via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic). “I’m not going to disclose those right now. I’m not at that point in the process.”

Earlier in the day, Eberflus indicated 24 t0 48 hours will transpire before any changes are formalized (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). The status of Waldron is a central talking point in this process, and Eberflus has altered course from previous weeks by repeatedly not taking the opportunity to endorse his offensive coordinator. Chicago scored 36 points in Week 5, and another 35 the following game. In three contests since, the team has totaled only 27 points.

Waldron’s first NFL stint took place from 2008-09, and he returned to the pro ranks in 2016. After a single season in Washington, he worked on the Rams’ staff for four years. That was followed by a three-year run as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, one in which Seattle finished ninth in scoring in 2022 and quarterback Geno Smith played his way into franchise quarterback status. Expectations were high for Caleb Williams‘ arrival this year with Waldron replacing Luke Getsy, but things have not gone according to plan.

Williams has topped 200 passing yards four times this season, but he has also posted a sub-54% completion percentage in four games (including each of the past three). This year’s No. 1 pick has been sacked a league-leading 38 times, an illustration in part of his own learning curve and also of the numerous injuries Chicago has dealt with up front. That figure nevertheless reflects poorly on the offense as a whole, a unit which has struggled to find consistency under Waldron.

To little surprise, Eberflus confirmed Williams will remain atop the depth chart moving forward. The 22-year-old’s development is the Bears’ top priority for 2024, although competing for a postseason berth will still be feasible if offensive improvement can take place. Chicago sits 24th in scoring through 10 weeks, but with a 4-5 record the team is still in touching distance of a wild-card berth. As Eberflus navigates a potentially uncertain future regarding his own job security, his decisions over the coming days will be interesting to see.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Davis, Vikes

November 7th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Questions about Matt Eberflus‘ status have emerged once again, as the Bears have lost two straight — the first of which featuring one of the more shocking endings in franchise history — to drop to 4-4. Eberflus fended off firing rumors to receive another chance this year, though he hired a new offensive staff upon being retained. Eberflus did not necessarily enter the season with the kind of playoffs-or-bust mandate Robert Saleh faced in New York, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs writes, but it is fairly clear the Bears will again need a good second half for the defense-minded coach to feel comfortable.

Eberflus is 14-28 as a coach, though his first season — a 3-14 campaign — featured a gutted roster early in a rebuild. Ryan Poles did not conduct the search that produced Eberflus, being hired only two days before the HC. But the GM is probably a better bet to outlast the coach, should this season go south. Poles and team president Kevin Warren are aligned in their vision, Biggs observes, pointing to the prospect of Poles being given the chance to hire a second coach. Poles would obviously have a greater influence in the Bears’ HC hire a second time around, should a 2025 change take place.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

John Cominsky went down with an MCL tear early in training camp, but the Lions waited until setting their 53-man roster to place the defensive lineman on IR. Cominsky is still in the mix to return at some point for the NFC North leaders, though Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers notes no reemergence is expected during the regular season. Cominsky is only in play to return if/once the Lions make the playoffs.
Elsewhere along the Lions’ front seven, Josh Paschal is on the way back after undergoing a recent treatment. The former second-round edge rusher needed to have a noncancerous mass removed. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer in 2018, Paschal has needed yearly scans; his latest led to a two-game absence due to the mass needing to be removed, via DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman. Paschal, who worked as a Lions starter in the two games before the hiatus, did not go on IR and is expected to return in Week 10. He will now be joined by trade pickup Za’Darius Smith, and a big role could await as both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are out for the regular season’s remainder.
Jamin Davis spent time as an edge defender during his final season with Washington, but in Green Bay, the former first-round pick has returned to his initial NFL role. The Packers have the 2021 draftee working as an off-ball ‘backer, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes. The Pack added Davis to their practice squad but have yet to elevate him for a game. Green Bay drafted two linebackers on Day 2 this year, though as a 36-game Washington starter from 2021-23, Davis now represents Green Bay insurance and perhaps an intriguing rebound piece.
Placed on IR due to an ankle injury, Luke Musgrave will not be back for a while. The second-year tight end ultimately needed surgery, Matt LaFleur said recently. LaFleur indicated the hope is Musgrave can return later this season. A second-round pick, Musgrave has seen 2023 third-rounder Tucker Kraft become the Packers’ top tight end. Musgrave also missed six games as a rookie, though he remains in the Packers’ IR-return puzzle for this season.
After coming up in trade rumors before the deadline, Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah ended up staying with the team. Minnesota did, however, end up discussing Asamoah with teams, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Some degree of interest existed, but the former third-round pick does not have a role on defense right now. Asamoah has yet to start an NFL game, despite having been in the league for three seasons, further limiting his trade value.

Matt Eberflus To Retain Defensive Play-Calling Duties

February 22nd, 2024 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Eberflus avoided the two-and-done reality many expected, instead being given the power to fire his offensive coordinator and other members of his 2023 staff. The third-year Bears HC will also operate in a dual role in 2024.

Although the Bears hired Eric Washington, the former Bills assistant will be a non-play-calling defensive coordinator to start his Chicago tenure. Eberflus said Thursday he will retain play-calling duties in 2024. This comes after he held the role for most of the 2023 season, following Alan Williams‘ September departure.

Williams, who followed Eberflus from Indianapolis, did not fare well running the show in 2022. Granted, the Bears had purged their defense of veterans — including the trades of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn — that year. The team ranked last in points allowed and 29th in total defense. Williams then left under somewhat mysterious circumstances, leading to Eberflus abandoning his status as a CEO coach and calling signals beginning in Week 3.

Last year’s Bears featured more defensive talent, seeing offseason and in-season additions bolster Eberflus’ unit. The team gave Tremaine Edmunds a top-five linebacker deal and added T.J. Edwards from the Eagles. Chicago, which entered the season with more questions at defensive end, traded for — and then extended — Montez Sweat. The team, which also received a breakthrough contract-year effort from Jaylon Johnson, finished 20th in scoring defense and 12th in yardage yielded.

Eberflus came to Chicago after four seasons with a play-calling role in Indianapolis. The Colts finished as a top-10 defense in three of those years, elevating Eberflus to the HC interview circuit. Washington has been in a play-calling position previously, serving as the Panthers’ DC from 2018-19. He spent the past four years as the Bills’ defensive line coach. While Washington taking the call sheet at some point during his Bears tenure is not a farfetched proposition, he will not carry it to begin his tenure.

Bears Fire OC Luke Getsy, Four Assistants; Matt Eberflus To Stay

January 10th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of the Bears’ seminal quarterback decision, they will have a new play-caller. The team is firing two-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The Bears are also moving on from quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, per Pelissero.

It does indeed appear Matt Eberflus will be back. After Ryan Poles praised the job Eberflus did in his second season, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the defensive-oriented HC is set to stay for a third year. The former Colts DC is expected to remain the Bears’ defensive play-caller, per Rapoport, though the early expectation is Eberflus hiring a DC to at least be a key voice in game-planning.

“He was steady at the wheel,” Poles said of the 53-year-old HC, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. “He fought to get back above water and get things the way they were. His ability to adapt and adjust, really take input from the players, to get this thing on the right path was incredible. I think a lot of people would have been in really bad shape and crumbled to the pressure. He got better with the pressure, and so did our football team.”

The Bears evaluated their staff over the past two days, and although Eberflus hovered on a hot seat early this season, the Bears rallying to finish 7-10 represented progress after a lengthy losing streak spanned from the second half of last season through October 2023. As the calendar turned to 2024, Eberflus was not expected to be fired. This news assuredly points to Poles staying on for a third year; the GM was viewed as a better candidate to stick than Eberflus coming into 2024.

Chicago improved from 29th to 12th in total defense from 2022-23 and from 32nd to 20th in points allowed in Eberflus’ second season. The Bears hired Eberflus with the intention he would be a CEO coach, rather than the play-caller, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Wearing both hats this season following DC Alan Williams‘ September exit, Eberflus did make strides. It will be interesting, then, to see if the Bears stick with Eberflus as their defensive play-caller. Despite a 3-14 debut season and a 1-5 start to the ’23 campaign, the veteran defensive coach has survived.

In addition to Getsy and Janocko, wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert and running backs coach Omar Young, per ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, will not join Poles and Eberflus next season. Despite improvement from Justin Fields and a career-best season from trade acquisition D.J. Moore, the Bears are removing the top pieces from their offensive staff. They have been viewed as a bit more likely to trade Fields and use the No. 1 overall pick on USC’s Caleb Williams, though definitive traction in either direction remains elusive. But Fields is close to becoming a more expensive commodity, with his fifth-year option decision on the horizon come May, while Williams would be tethered to a rookie contract for at least three years.

Chicago’s offense improved from 28th to 20th in yardage and from 23rd to 18th in scoring over Getsy’s two seasons, though the ex-Packers assistant remained in the crosshairs. A change at this juncture would point to the Bears leaning toward making the long-rumored move to trade Fields and start over with a higher-ceiling rookie. This was the 39-year-old Getsy’s first OC gig; he had previously served as Aaron Rodgers‘ QBs coach.

Thanks largely to Fields’ gifts as a runner, the Bears led the NFL in rushing in 2022 and finished second this season. The latter ranking came despite the Ohio State alum missing four games due to injury. No single Bears rusher totaled more than 700 yards, however, and only Khalil Herbert topped 500 among the team’s three-headed running back setup. WR2 Darnell Mooney (414 yards) also did not make much of an impact in his fourth season, despite the former fifth-round pick being a previous 1,000-yard receiver. Chicago finished 27th in passing yards, inviting more speculation about Fields’ Windy City future.

Janocko, 35, came to Chicago after seven seasons in Minnesota. While Janocko spent his entire NFL career with the Vikings, he only coached quarterbacks in one of those seasons (2021). Tolbert, conversely, has been a specialist throughout his career. The 56-year-old assistant has coached wide receivers for six teams since 2003. On the Cardinals’ staff when Anquan Boldin broke through as a rookie, Tolbert later coached Demaryius Thomas for seven seasons in Denver, collecting a Super Bowl ring for the latter stay. The Bears hired him after four seasons with the Giants. Young came to Chicago from the college ranks in 2022; the team promoted him from the quality control level to RBs coach last year. Assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts has also been let go, the team announced.

It seems unlikely Eberflus will sign an extension, as his four-year deal runs through 2025, but the Bears showing faith in their coach to keep him in place despite the likelihood of a No. 1 overall QB investment coming in. Should that happen, the team’s next OC hire will obviously become quite important.

Staff Rumors: Commanders, Smith, Falcons, Bears, Pierce, Raiders, Giants

January 5th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Among head coaches, Ron Rivera resides as the only true lock to be fired following Week 18. The Commanders‘ new ownership injects mystery into the upcoming search. Josh Harris has been rumored to be intrigued by a setup in which a football operations president-type figure oversees a GM and head coach, and SI.com’s Albert Breer further points to the owner being unlikely to hand the keys to a high-powered HC. Like Bill Belichick, Breer considers Jim Harbaugh an unlikely candidate in Washington. It is not known if Belichick would require personnel control if he ends up elsewhere, but Harbaugh having the leverage of more Michigan extension offers, it is expected the hard-edged HC would need significant input on the personnel front if he were to return to the NFL. So far, the Chargers have been the team most closely linked to luring him back.

Additionally, Breer notes Harris is intrigued by how the Eagles and Ravens’ power structures are set up. The Commanders hired ex-Ravens analytics staffer Eugene Shen as senior VP of football strategy in the fall. While the Eagles lost four staffers to assistant GM roles in 2022, the Ravens have a GM candidate in player personnel director Joe Hortiz. Baltimore’s OC-DC tandem — Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald — is expected to generate HC interest as well.

Going into Week 18, here is the latest from staffs around the NFL:

With the Falcons on the doorstep of a third straight 7-10 season, Arthur Smith‘s job status has come up frequently. Vacillating back and forth between being fired or becoming the rare HC to be given a fourth year despite three straight losing seasons, Smith was not exactly given a vote of confidence by Arthur Blank. But the longtime Falcons owner is not believed to be actively seeking changes, per Breer, making it sound like the hope is for Smith and GM Terry Fontenot to show enough to stay on. A one-sided loss to the Saints may well change Blank’s mind. The Falcons can win the NFC South by beating the Saints and the Buccaneers — who also have a coach on the hot seat — losing to the Panthers.
Ryan Poles is believed to have a good relationship with new Bears president Kevin Warren, being expected to stay on for a third year as GM. Prior to the Bears‘ rout of the Falcons, Matt Eberflus was linked to being in good standing for a third HC season. While expecting both to stay, Breer notes neither Bears power broker has been assured of a return. Warren has been a wild card in this scenario since he was hired, and the former Big Ten commissioner did not confirm publicly when asked Friday (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) if Eberflus would be retained. Eberflus is 10-23 as Bears HC, but the team — which has a rather important quarterback decision to make soon — is 7-5 over its past 12.
Raiders leaders Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs would back the retention of interim HC Antonio Pierce, but Mark Davis is believed to be aiming higher. After all, Pierce — who resigned his two-year post as Arizona State DC in 2022 — has far less experience than Raiders DC Patrick Graham. But Pierce’s knowledge of the Raiders’ culture and history does appeal to Davis, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, noting these factors matter considerably to the second-generation owner. No team has bumped an interim leader to the full-time post since the Jaguars elevated Doug Marrone in 2017.
Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon is set for a responsibility jump; it will come at the college level. Syracuse hired Nixon as its offensive coordinator Friday. Nixon was in his first season as Giants RBs coach; he had served under Matt Rhule at Baylor and with the Panthers. The Giants hired Nixon last year to replace DeAndre Smith, who left to take the same position with the Colts.

Justin Fields Making Bears’ Decision Difficult; Team Setting Higher Trade Price For 2024 No. 1 Pick?

January 2nd, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barring an unexpected development, Ryan Poles will have the opportunity to consider another trade involving a No. 1 overall pick. The second-year Bears GM is unlikely to be fired, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin. But a similar decision awaits him once the season ends.

Poles’ 2023 choice equipped the Bears with a haul of draft choices, including a Panthers pick now guaranteed to check in at No. 1 overall, but the young GM has not seen Justin Fields submit an open-and-shut case to stay on for a fourth season. Recommitting to Fields would now require the Bears to trade a No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year. Considering Poles was not with the team when it traded up for Fields in 2021, the stakes attached to the GM’s next decision are even higher.

Since coming back from an early-season injury, Fields has impressed in spurts. The third-year QB is believed to have made the Bears’ decision more difficult, Fowler and Cronin note, but two anonymous GMs said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) Chicago should still be expected to draft Caleb Williams — who has not yet officially declared — first overall and trade Fields. A panel of NFL staffers said the same last month, indicating the Ohio State alum would be highly unlikely to fetch the Bears a first-round pick in a 2024 trade.

Fields’ recent spurt aside, his overall body of work would make passing on a prospect like Williams difficult. Chicago’s dual-threat passer is 8-19 as a starter and has struggled in fourth quarters this season. Per ESPN, Fields ranks last out of qualified passers with a 51.8% fourth-stanza completion rate while sitting 30th in QBR in final periods. Since 2021, Fields’ 16 fourth-quarter INTs lead the league. Fields’ run-game brilliance and superior work earlier in games (No. 4 in TD-INT ratio through games’ first three quarters this season) works in his favor, but thus far, more expect the Bears to start over rather than stick here.

If Fields can win what was previously described as an uphill battle and keep his job for 2024 — something that would require the Bears to pick up his fifth-year option by May — Poles will likely view this as a hotter ticket compared to the 2023 top pick. It cost the Panthers D.J. Moore, their Nos. 9 and 61 picks last year, their 2024 first and a 2025 second to move up for Young. Williams’ prospect status topping those of Young or C.J. Stroud points to the Bears setting a higher price, with ESPN.com adding several execs view the USC talent as being worth two future first-rounders and either a Day 2 pick or a veteran on a reasonable contract.

It cost the 49ers two future first-rounders and a third to climb nine spots for Trey Lance. The Eagles gave up a first-rounder, two seconds and two thirds for Jared Goff in 2016. Washington’s price to climb from No. 6 to No. 2 for Robert Griffin III was two future firsts and a second in 2012. It will, then, be worth debating if the Bears are better off continuing to build around Fields and the haul they could receive for the presumptive Williams draft slot or starting over with the 2022 Heisman winner (on rookie-deal money through at least 2026) and whatever they receive in a trade for Fields. Chicago’s incumbent QB would be worth a second- or third-rounder in a pre-draft swap, per Fowler.

The Bears giving up on Fields after three years would match the timeline Mitch Trubisky received. A three-and-done Fields stay would also show how the league has changed since the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie contracts. Rex Grossman was in Chicago for six years, though he did not finish out his tenure as the team’s starter. Despite leading the Bears to just one playoff berth, Jay Cutler stayed as the Bears’ QB1 for eight seasons. With Cutler checking in perhaps just south of the franchise-QB bar, Chicago has been in search of its next such piece since at least Jim McMahon, whose injury troubles shortened his Windy City stay.

These factors complicate Poles’ decision, but he is expected to be the one making it. Fowler and Cronin add Poles has cultivated a good relationship with new president Kevin Warren. A Sunday report indicated Matt Eberflus was more likely than not to stay on, but La Canfora notes the prospect of Warren — who arrived in Chicago after both Eberflus and Poles — firing the two-year HC and starting with a more offensively oriented leader (in the event Williams is drafted) should not be dismissed.

This would represent a tough ending for Eberflus, who has the Bears at 7-5 over their past 12 games. With complications surrounding their front office, coaching staff and quarterback, the upcoming offseason promises to be a seminal stretch for the Bears. Should they give Fields a fourth season or turn to Williams? Is Eberflus capable of becoming a long-term HC answer?

NFL Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Eberflus, Rivera

December 31st, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The rumors have not slowed down linking University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. Harbaugh has been continuously mentioned as a candidate for any open head coaching position in the last few years, and his latest move is only adding fuel to the fire. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Harbaugh has hired a new agent in Don Yee, a longtime agent with such notable clients as Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

Harbaugh is currently in a complicated position. As NFL teams have begun parting ways with coaches or making their intentions for the future clear, Harbaugh still has to deal with his current position. The top-ranked Wolverines are one of four college football teams in the country with something still to play for. Tomorrow afternoon, Michigan will face off against the 4-seed Crimson Tide for a chance to play in the National Championship the following Monday. In addition to being in contention to win it all at the college level, Harbaugh has also been in major discussions for an extension to remain at Michigan.

The possibility of an extension is one likely reason for Yee’s hiring. Entering complicated contract negotiations that have been rumored to include a clause restricting Harbaugh’s ability to leave for an NFL job is reason enough to bring in representation. That being said, Yee’s NFL ties are not easy to ignore. The obvious tie with Yee comes from his relationship with Brady. Brady has been rumored as a potential candidate for partial ownership in the Raiders, who recently parted ways with head coach Josh McDaniels. Interim head coach Antonio Pierce has been making a strong case to hold on to the permanent position with a 4-3 record since taking over, but we saw a similar interim situation not pan out for the incumbent coach in Carolina last year, so anything is still possible.

Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the NFL:

In a report last night, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport delivered an update on Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Entering the 2023 season on a 10-game losing streak after having gone 3-14 in his first season as head coach, patience for Eberflus in Chicago seemed to be wearing thin. After the team finally ended the skid at 14 games, Eberflus has led the Bears to a 6-5 record since, keeping the team improbably in the playoff race. The Bears are playing winning football recently, with even their most recent two losses coming in one-score games against playoff teams from Detroit and Cleveland. At this point, Rapoport claims that he would be surprised to not see Eberflus back for the 2024 season. Additionally, Eberflus has been handling defensive coordinator duties since the untimely resignation of Alan Williams at the start of the season, a role he also may retain going into next year.
On the other hand, Rapoport wasn’t nearly as optimistic about the prospects for current Commanders head coach Ron Rivera. With new owner Josh Harris in the building, it was expected that Rivera would at least be granted the opportunity to make a case to retain his position. After a six-game losing streak that has eliminated Washington from playoff contention, Rivera’s audition is not going well. Spelling further possible doom for Rivera, after putting all of his eggs in the Sam Howell-basket, hoping to develop the young gunslinger into a franchise passer, Rivera has been forced to bench Howell in each of the team’s last two losses in favor of Jacoby Brissett. Nothing seems to have been decided quite yet, but things aren’t looking promising for Rivera and company in Washington.

Latest On Justin Fields, Bears’ HC/GM Plans

December 14th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Upon returning from a dislocated thumb, Justin Fields faced a seven-game audition that would likely determine his post-2023 future in Chicago. Thus far, the 2021 first-round pick has impressed. The Bears have won two straight against division rivals, and Fields put together a solid game in the team’s upset win over the Lions in Week 14.

Before Fields began this final audition of sorts, reports pointed the Bears in different directions regarding their QB future. Multiple mid-November reports indicated the team was more likely to trade Fields and go with a top prospect in the 2024 draft. With the Panthers continuing to struggle and now two games behind the NFL’s second-worst record with four to play, the Bears are closer to having another opportunity to make their choice atop a draft. While Ryan Poles passed on that chance this year, trading the top pick to Carolina, it would represent a bigger risk move another No. 1 choice.

Although a subsequent report pegged the Bears as needing to be “blown away” by a QB prospect to move on from Fields, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson spoke with a number of GMs who suggest the Bears’ decision should not be that difficult. Reasons ranging from Caleb Williams‘ prospect profile to cost certainty to the risk of trading No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back years to Poles not being in Chicago when Fields was drafted pointed to the anonymous GMs expecting the team to trade its current quarterback and prepare for the future.

This scenario would remind of the Jets’ 2021 call, which now doubles as a warning to other teams. While some in the Jets’ building advocated for keeping Sam Darnold and passing on drafting Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall two years ago, the Jets centered their future around Wilson by trading Darnold to the Panthers for a three-pick package.

The key difference here being that Williams is a former Heisman winner who has resided as a top-tier prospect for multiple seasons; Wilson, conversely, rocketed toward the top of the ’21 draft board because he impressed against lower-level competition. The COVID-19-altered 2020 season, featuring independent BYU needing to schedule lesser competition, created this scenario. No such variables exist with Williams, though he could not match his dominant 2022 Heisman campaign this year.

Should the Bears follow that Jets plan, the anonymous execs told Robinson that the team should not be expected to fetch a first-round pick in a Fields trade. None of the seven trade proposals featured a first-rounder, though a few included a second. This partially hinges on Fields finishing this season strong. That would undoubtedly increase the run-oriented QB’s trade value while also making Poles’ decision more difficult.

It is still not a lock the Bears have Poles and Matt Eberflus in place to make these decisions. President Kevin Warren, whom the Bears hired in January, represents a wild card. Even if the Panthers provide the Bears with the No. 1 pick, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Warren will be expected to seriously consider changes to the coaching staff and front office. We heard this in September, but the Bears have performed better as of late. They are now only one game out of another mediocre NFC pursuit for the No. 7 seed, and La Canfora offers the caveat of a surprise playoff surge taking 2024 HC-GM changes off the table.

Warren is primarily running the Bears’ efforts to secure a new stadium, but the former Big Ten commissioner is expected to weigh in on football matters — like how the team should proceed with the No. 1 pick. Formerly a Lions, Vikings and Rams staffer, Warren is set to evaluate Poles and Eberflus in the offseason. The subject of wanting his own HC will likely come up, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan. How that potential motivation would affect Poles remains to be seen, but Eberflus probably joins Fields in needing to prove himself to close out this season.

This is not especially uncommon. New Commanders owner Josh Harris is expected to fire Ron Rivera, while the Broncos both changed HCs a year after hiring a new GM (going from Vic Fangio to Nathaniel Hackett) and then a year after having new ownership (Hackett to Sean Payton). The Panthers fired Rivera during David Tepper‘s second year in charge. The Bears do not have a new owner, but it is clear Warren will be a key decision-maker when it comes time to make a call on staffers. While the Bears are a long shot to extend this late-season recovery to the playoffs, the 2023 squad’s homestretch will be important through a long-term lens.

Bears To Evaluate HC Matt Eberflus During Offseason; Team Interested In Eric Bieniemy?

December 5th, 2023 at 10:47am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears have had an up-and-down season in Year 2 under head coach Matt Eberflus. As a result, his name has been floated as a candidate to be replaced this offseason, but it remains to be seen if the team’s front office will authorize a change.

Both Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles will be evaluated after the 2023 season, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). New president Kevin Warren has signficant sway in the team’s direction, and Russini notes he has spent his time in Chicago “getting a feel for the organization.” Warren will have a major say with respect to changes on the sidelines and in the front office, but the Eberflus-Poles pairing still has time to make a positive impression.

The Bears currently sit at 4-8 on the season, one in which improvement from last season’s tear-down campaign was expected. Chicago began the year with five losses out of the first six games, but a 3-3 record since then has likely helped the cause for Eberflus, Poles and quarterback Justin Fields to remain in their current positions. The latter could easily be replaced this spring given the Bears’ strong chance of owning the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, but he appears to still have the backing of the team at this point.

Nevertheless, it would not come as a shock if Eberflus were to be let go after the campaign. In that event, a number of candidates would no doubt be on the team’s radar. One of those is Eric Bieniemy, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. The longtime Chiefs offensive coordinator took the OC position in Washington this offseason in a move which granted him play-calling duties and the added title of assistant head coach.

In the eyes of many, it also set Bieniemy up for his first NFL head coaching position in the event he were to remain with the Commanders in 2024 and beyond. Current head coach Ron Rivera is widely believed to be on the way out at the conclusion of this season, and Bieniemy’s work with respect to developing second-year passer Sam Howell has drawn praise. The Commanders rank 10th in the league in total offense despite a mediocre ground game, but the team’s defense has floundered in recent weeks in particular and resulted in a 4-9 record.

The Bears are in a similar position in the win-loss column, but improved play on defense – Eberflus’ familiarity dating back to his coordinator days – has been evident at times in recent games. Chicago ranks 11th in yards allowed per game this season (319) and first against the run (79). Eberflus has served as the defensive play-caller since the sudden resignation of DC Alan Williams in September. That move, along with the acquisition and extension of defensive end Montez Sweat, has not yielded a strong performance in the pass-rush department, however.

Eberflus and Poles were mentioned in a September report as being on the hot seat, but the former later expressed the support he had received from the organization. Plenty is still to be determined over the closing weeks of the season, but the Bears’ organizational direction will be a major storyline to watch upon the conclusion of the campaign. With the prospect of two top-10 picks in April’s draft, the team’s HC position could be an attractive one for Bieniemy if he were to find himself in consideration for the job, though he could also receive interest from other teams this offseason.

Bears Will Have To Be “Blown Away” By Top QB Prospect To Move On From Justin Fields; Latest On GM Ryan Poles, HC Matt Eberflus

November 19th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Rory Parks

Recent reports have suggested that the Bears, who seem like a sure bet to have two top-10 picks in the 2024 draft, will select a quarterback in the first round. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that Chicago will have to be “blown away” by a quarterback prospect to pull the trigger and move on from incumbent Justin Fields.

That is the same mindset that general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus had when embarking on their first offseason with the Bears in 2022. The duo inherited Fields from Chicago’s prior regime, but at the time, the Ohio State product had just finished his rookie campaign, and it made sense to give him some time to live up to his own lofty draft status (Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft).

Since then, Fields has firmly cemented himself as a tremendous weapon when carrying the ball while proving to be more of a mixed bag as a passer. He has missed the Bears’ last four contests due to a dislocated thumb, and he will have the final seven games of the season to convince the organization to use its draft assets on non-quarterback talent. Eberflus believes that represents enough of an audition opportunity to determine Fields’ future with the franchise.

“I think seven weeks is enough time to show consistency and for him to be the high performer that we expect him to be,” Eberflus said (h/t Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com). “I know he’s had some good performances this year, certainly the last few have been solid.”

Of course, even if Fields performs well down the stretch, he may not stick in Chicago. By virtue of their 2023 trade with the Panthers, who presently have a 1-8 record, the Bears could find themselves in position to draft a collegiate QB like USC’s Caleb Williams or UNC’s Drake Maye without even having to trade up the board. Those players are widely believed to be generational talents, and assuming that the club agrees with the prevailing industry assessment — in other words, if Poles and Eberflus are “blown away” by at least one of Williams and Maye — Fields’ upcoming audition could really be a showcase for other teams.

A September report, which surfaced when the Bears were mired in a 13-game losing streak, suggested that both Eberflus and Poles were on the hot seat, and if ownership moves on from them at the end of the year, it obviously does not matter what they think of Fields or the top quarterbacks in the 2024 class. Fortunately for the power brokers, the Bears have gone 3-3 over their last six games, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune makes it sounds as if Poles will return in 2024 and will be using the remainder of the season not only to evaluate Fields, but to evaluate Eberflus. Indeed, Biggs says Poles will need to determine if he wants a more offensive-minded coach — which could be especially relevant if he drafts Williams or Maye — and will want to see if the team remains competitive under Eberflus’ watch.

New team president Kevin Warren will obviously have considerable input as to the futures of both Eberflus and Poles.

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