Matt Eberflus, the current head coach of the Chicago Bears, is facing increasing scrutiny and speculation about his future with the team.
NBC insider Peter King recently expressed his belief that Eberflus could be replaced as early as next week if the Bears fail to secure a victory against the Washington Commanders on Thursday.
The Bears have had a dismal start to the 2023 season, losing all four of their games. This extends their losing streak under Eberflus" leadership to 14 games, dating back to October 2022.
The team is desperate for a turnaround, and the upcoming Thursday Night Football game presents an opportunity to get back on track.
However, if the losing streak continues, it wouldn"t be surprising if the front office decides to make a coaching change.
"I don’t care who’s playing for you. You cannot lose 14 games in a row and think you should hold on to your job," King said about Eberflus. "I would not be surprised if it’s a bad loss Thursday and the Bears make a change. Just wouldn’t be surprising, but I would be surprised if they totally cleaned house and went and got a new general manager as well. It just doesn’t seem, that just doesn’t seem that logical to me."
While the Bears have never fired a head coach midseason in their long history, the circumstances could be different this time.
With new team president Kevin Warren in charge, there may be a willingness to make significant changes.
Both Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles report to Warren, making his influence crucial in any decisions regarding the coaching staff.
"I don’t think Kevin Warren, or Ryan Poles, or the McCaskeys are going to say, ‘Well, we’ve never done this before, so we can’t do it,"" King said. "They’re going to look at their team and say, ‘Have we ever lost 14 games in a row before? I don’t think so.""
Eberflus currently finds himself on the hottest seat in the NFL coaching world. With a winless start to the season and a record of 3-18 over his first 21 games as head coach,
his job security is undoubtedly questionable. However, Eberflus remains focused on the task at hand: defeating the Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
Whether he has received any reassurance from Poles or other high-ranking members of the organization is unknown.
"I’ve been doing this 32 years, right? So I understand the business," Eberflus said Wednesday, "but I understand that to do it right you’ve got to focus on your job and you’ve got to focus right here, right now. So you can think about a lot of different things that’s going to do nobody good [or] you focus on your job where your feet are right now, and that’s my sole focus is on Washington."
In the event that the Bears decide to part ways with Eberflus, the question arises: who would replace him as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season?
Matt Eberflus is 3-18 with 14 straight losses. Could he be out if he loses tonight? Here's an important question: Who would replace him for the rest of the season? https://t.co/f3Uu4ujXSj
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 5, 2023
Traditionally, coordinators are the top candidates for such roles. However, the Bears might not feel confident in going that route.
Luke Getsy, the offensive play-caller, has faced criticism for the underperformance of the offense. Adding more responsibilities to his plate could worsen the situation.
Additionally, the team currently lacks a defensive coordinator after Alan Williams" recent resignation. This leaves Richard Hightower, who primarily works with the special teams units, as the only viable option.
Considering other assistants, Jon Hoke, the cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator, has extensive experience in coaching and could potentially adapt the defensive system for the better.
If the defensive players respect and trust him, he could provide seasoned leadership to the team. Another option is Andrew Janocko, the quarterback coach, who could potentially replace Getsy as the play-caller.
While none of these options may be ideal, the Bears may have no choice but to select one of them, at least temporarily, if Thursday"s game confirms that Eberflus is not the right fit for the team.
