Is Matt Eberflus Fired Next?
The guillotine has fallen on the neck of Dennis Allen, and his time as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints is over. The next head to roll may be a little over 900 miles to the north. Chicago Bears fans have wanted Matt Eberflus fired since before the season started. These things tend to happen in groups of three, so they may end up getting their wish.
It's hard to understand why general manager Ryan Poles stuck with Eberflus during the offseason. The timing could not have been more perfect to make a change. The Bears had missed the playoffs again, and held two picks in the top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Thanks to fleecing the Carolina Panthers, one of those picks was the first overall, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind, that it would be Caleb Williams, the Heisman-winning quarterback from USC.
When a team takes a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft, he is often paired with a secure veteran head coach, sporting years of consistent success, or he is paired with a new head coach. Having a rookie quarterback play his first year under a coach on the hot seat is plain bad business. He spends an entire year learning the playbook, only to have a new playbook thrown in his lap the following off-season.
The top overall pick needs to be set up for success, and going through coaches like toilet paper isn't the best way to do that. Just ask Trevor Lawrence, who nine games after signing a record setting contract with the Jaguars, is struggling to meet his potential. New Quarterback = new coach. That's NFL mathematics 101.
When Stadium Rant asked Brandon Combs, the producer for Audacy Sports in Chicago, his thoughts, he said, "I'll be honest, I'm no sure what Poles thought process in keeping Eberflus was. It was glaringly obvious to the fan base that there was a need for a change, and nobody wanted another young quarterback to come into that situation again. This is the third straight rookie QB that this organization has done this with."
The host of Combs & Fitz Windy City Sports Talk finished his thought with the following quote:
"There's a culture problem at Halas Hall. One that I hoped they were past. But they're not, and it's tough to watch right now."
What might anger Chicago Bears fans even more than retaining Eberflus, is that their dream head coach replacement wanted the gig, but the Bears snubbed him. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the hottest name on the coaching market during the offseason. The Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks had him at the top of their lists, but went in other directions after Johnson returned to Detroit.
Johnson didn't just go back home, he did it after expressing interest in coaching Chicago in 2024, but getting snubbed when the team told him that they wanted to stick with Eberflus. The team could have had the best offensive play caller in the NFL as their head coach, guiding the most promising rookie quarterback in a decade. Instead, they are 4-4, and die hard Bears fans are wondering when they will hear the greatest news imaginable, that the team has parted ways with Matt Eberflus.