The Chicago Bears fired third-year head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday.
The news came less than 24 hours after Eberflus experienced a sixth straight defeat and third consecutive loss decided on the final play. The Bears fell to 4-8 on the season.
“This morning, after meeting with (chairman) George (H. McCaskey) and (President and CEO) Kevin (Warren), we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said. “I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
Warren said he supported the decision made by the organization on Friday.
“We understand how imperative the head-coaching role is for building and maintaining a championship-caliber team, leading our players and our organization,” Warren said. “Our fans have stood by us and persevered through every challenge, and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operational structure is strong, focused, aligned and energized for the future.”
Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will serve as interim head coach.
His dismissal came shortly after Eberflus conveyed plans to conduct business as usual during his Friday morning news conference with reporters. He was then scheduled to meet with Warren and Poles.
“The operation has been normal,” Eberflus said of his plans for Friday in the office, with players home for the long weekend before returning to practice Monday.
The Bears have never fired a coach in-season and Eberflus indicated he didn’t expect to be the first.
“I’m confident that I’ll be working on to San Francisco and getting ready for that game,” Eberflus said, pointing to the Week 14 matchup with the 49ers.
Eberflus, 54, won his coaching debut with the Bears, 19-10 over the 49ers in 2022, but is 13-32 since.
On Thursday, Chicago lost 23-20 at Detroit, rallying from a dormant first half and had the ball in field-goal range when quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked. In a sequence that began with 32 seconds on the game clock, the Bears had options. They could have spiked the ball to stop the clock, attempting what would have been around a 60-yard field goal, or going for a first down with plenty of time to “clock” the ball.
Another option Eberflus chose not to use was calling a timeout.
Instead, the ball was snapped 28 seconds later and Williams heaved an incompletion down the right sideline as time expired.
Media members repeatedly have questioned Eberflus in press conference settings about taking personal accountability. But on Friday he said the Bears handled the final sequence appropriately and “the operation wasn’t fast enough.”
Wide receiver Keenan Allen said Thursday afternoon that “we did enough as players to win the game.”
Williams said the timeout call wasn’t his to make.
“We can call a timeout there or we cannot,” he said. “I’m not going to say I was surprised. My job is just to go out there and make plays. I let the coaches and everybody make that decision — it is their call. Maybe in the later years of my career, it will be my call.”
Poles paid a personal visit to Williams in the locker room for a discussion, and Warren stood watch to take in the wide-lens scene of the locker room packing to return to Chicago with an 0-3 record in the NFC North. The Bears had chances to beat all three division opponents, but the Packers blocked a game-winning FG attempt by Cairo Santos, the Vikings escaped Chicago with a 30-27 overtime win and the Lions wriggled away Thanksgiving Day with Chicago threatening in the final minute.
–Field Level Media
