Cubs Rumors: Chicago is “gauging the market” for head coaches, and Matt Eberflus is still not safe.
It has been claimed that the Chicago Bears are still undecided about head coach Matt Eberflus’ future.
The Bears are “gauging” the coaching market, according ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, in case they decide to break company with Eberflus, who has led Chicago to 10-24 results in his two seasons as head coach.
After finishing 2023 with a 7-6 record after an 0-4 start, Fowler stated that maintaining Eberflus is the most likely scenario. However, a change might still occur, particularly if the Bears are able to grab their top target on the coaching market.
Following a 6-11 season in 2021, Chicago fired Matt Nagy and appointed Eberflus as his replacement. In his first season in charge, Eberflus led the Bears to a league-worst 3-14 record.
As it happens, the Bears’ disastrous season may have prepared them for years of success, as they were able to acquire wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the first overall draft pick and numerous other picks. The Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick, which is currently ranked first overall, was one of the selections obtained; as a result, the Bears can choose to use or trade the pick for a second consecutive year.
Whether the Bears decide to keep Justin Fields as the starting quarterback or trade him in depends on that decision, which is likely to be made after Chicago selects a head coach. Although Fields is still developing as a passer, he is the most explosive player at the quarterback position. The Bears have to compare it to the potential of the best quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, like Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina, and Jayden Daniels of LSU.
Taking quarterback out of the picture, the Bears boast a developing group of players that includes players like Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, and rising defensive stars Tyrique Stevenson, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and pass-rusher Montez Sweat. The Bears president Kevin Warren may not think Eberflus is the ideal guy to lead the team, even though the talent is there and more is on the way.Under Eberflus, Chicago’s record improved significantly in the second season, finishing 7-10 and making it into the postseason until the end of Week 17.The Bears won four of their five games from Weeks 12 through 17 and demonstrated their potential as they continue to develop and get better.
Although Eberflus’s job may have been saved in part by that late-season surge, the Bears may find it difficult to pass up a high-profile hire if Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the University of Michigan, or Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, becomes available and prefers to stay in Chicago.