The Chicago Bears are typically an organization that likes to stay patient with its head coaches. It takes time to implement systems and get cultures established. However, sometimes patience feels like wasted energy. It doesn’t take a keen eye to recognize when a coach can’t hack it. Many feel that is the case with Matt Eberflus. Since taking over in 2022, the Bears have endured the worst stretch in franchise history, winning only six of their last 28 games. It is a period marked by constant 4th quarter struggles and an inability to execute in big moments.
If that weren’t enough, the defense still isn’t good. That is supposed to be Eberflus’ specialty. One would think he’d be able to at least make it average in Year 2. Instead, they are 29th in points allowed. They’ve given up 30 or more in five games this season. It raises the question. What exactly does Eberflus offer this team? Nobody has been able to come up with an answer. Not a satisfactory one, anyway. Amidst growing rumors that the head coach will be fired this off-season, one person thinks he deserves more time.
Former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt told the Under Center podcast he thinks Eberflus is doing good things. He’s well-organized. He has a plan. Players are still motivated. It’s easy to forget how young the Bears are. Sometimes it takes a while to learn how to win.
Wannstedt’s defense of Matt Eberflus is somewhat ironic.
If there is one coach the Bears showed more patience for than most, it was him. He didn’t exactly reward them for it. He had two winning seasons in six years and made the playoffs once. The Bears kept him after going 4-12 in 1997. Wannstedt followed that with another 4-12 season. If he hadn’t had some success in his first two years (7-9 in 1993 and 9-7 with a wildcard berth in 1994), he might’ve gotten the same treatment Eberflus should. He had more wins in his first year than Eberflus has in almost two. The odds of losing a lot in your first two years only to turn the corner in the third are rare.
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It is almost always a sign of gradual improvement. Mike Ditka went from 3-6 to 8-8. Jack Pardee went from 4-10 to 7-7. The only notable exception was Dick Jauron, going from 6-10 to 5-11 to 13-3. That 2001 season proved to be an outlier, though. Jauron went 4-12 and 7-9 the next two years. Good coaches almost always get results in a shorter time frame. Matt Eberflus hasn’t shown any of the qualities necessary for this. Being organized is great, but it hasn’t translated to the field.
