One of the biggest fears among Chicago Bears fans was the scenario currently unfolding. It involved the team keeping head coach Matt Eberflus and then selecting a new quarterback in the 2024 draft. The fear stems from the idea that they grab the quarterback, the team struggles next season, and Eberflus gets fired as a result. Now their young QB has to start all over again with a new staff. It would be repeating the same mistake with John Fox in 2017 and Matt Nagy in 2021. Quarterbacks need stability to thrive.
That means if the Bears are dead set on getting their next guy, it has to mean they’re willing to stick with Eberflus beyond just 2024, right? Nobody knows. All they have to go on is the track record. Thankfully, team insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provided some clarity. He acknowledged there is always the possibility that the Bears could bottom out this season and Eberflus might get blamed. However, based on what he knows at this stage, there is zero indication the head coach is operating under win-now conditions.
“Is it fair to expect improvement? Sure. The roster is in a spot where it should be competitive, and the Bears have some legitimate talent on offense. I simply don’t sense Eberflus is on a hot seat. If the offense is a total mess, obviously there will be reason to revisit the coaching situation. But it would be an error, from my perspective, to say Eberflus enters 2024 on the hot seat.”
The Bears must trust the process with Matt Eberflus.
Last season was more impressive than people gave it credit for. Eberflus saw his team start out 1-5, enduring not only some ugly defeats but also a string of controversies. Two of his assistant coaches were dismissed for HR-related reasons. Quarterback Justin Fields expressed public frustration about the offensive coaching. Despite all of that, the head coach guided his team out of those choppy waters and to a 7-10 finish, a four-game improvement over the previous year.
If Matt Eberflus can survive that mess, there is no reason to think he can’t push this team to the next level. His defense remains strong across the board. Now, the offense appears to be catching up. They’ve added more playmakers at wide receiver and running back. The offensive line is stable and they’re about to take a quarterback with the #1 overall pick. They could even double down with another top offensive talent at #9. This team feels one step away from knocking down the door to the playoffs.
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Even if Eberflus can’t quite get there this year, he deserves enough time to see his vision through.
