Bears Make It Official. Matt Eberflus Will Return As Head Coach
Mere minutes after the announcement offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was fired, Adam Schefter broke the news everybody seemed to expect. Head coach Matt Eberflus will return for another season in 2024. It has become relatively clear what the Chicago Bears‘ plans are. They wish to forge ahead with Eberflus in charge of the team and running the defense. They hope to upgrade the offensive staff and likely aim to make a change at quarterback in the coming months. It is a risky venture, but not all that surprising.
The argument to keep Eberflus was straightforward. After starting his tenure 3-18, the head coach finally got things off the ground with a 7-6 finish to the 2024 season. Along the way, he took over playcalling duties on defense and the unit made a remarkable turnaround to become one of the NFL’s best. While the desire for a big swing at head coach was understandable, it’s not like the decision to keep him is unjustified. If the Bears can fix the offense and he keeps that defense rolling, they will be in the playoff hunt next season.
Matt Eberflus faces the same challenge as previous Bears coaches.
Finding quality offensive coordinators has been a constant struggle for this organization. Lovie Smith hired four of them during his time with the team. Eberflus was the one who targeted Getsy in the first place. So it is difficult to trust he can get it right the second time. Yet that is the reality this team faces. It is clear they aim to start fresh with the entire offensive staff. No doubt, the aim will be to build one that can cultivate a system around a young quarterback, whether it be Caleb Williams or somebody else.
Maybe they seek somebody with experience. Or perhaps they take a gamble on another young up-and-comer. Plenty of them would likely jump at the chance to work with a possible #1 pick. This will come down to how well Matt Eberflus can recruit. He’s prided himself on such things in the past. His sales pitch must be perfect to get somebody the Bears need. Otherwise this may end up another Mark Helfrich or Bill Lazor situation.