The Chicago Bears are in the midst of another rough season. Since the start of 2022, it has arguably been the worst stretch in franchise history. They are 5-21 in that span. At the center of the mess is head coach Matt Eberflus. He was brought in because it was felt he could reestablish a winning culture, cut down on the constant self-inflicted wounds, and bring back many of the qualities that were present during the Lovie Smith days. Instead, he’s produced the worst winning percentage of any coach in franchise history. The team is near the top of the league in both penalties and giveaways. The defense, his supposed area of expertise, is also bad.
Nothing about the Bears can be sold as a positive development under Eberflus’ watch. He’s insisted up and down that things are getting better. The team was competitive in New Orleans against a good Saints team. That glosses over the fact they were blasted 30-13 the week before in Los Angeles. Eberflus is grasping at straws. He knows the pressure on him is mounting. That said, his seat might not be as scalding as many think it is. Adam Jahns of The Athletic predicted he would stick around another year. Now, an update from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggests there isn’t nearly as much heat on him as one might expect
“The Bears’ Matt Eberflus is now 5-21. To be fair, he inherited a tough situation and has worked admirably to keep things together there. I don’t sense much friction in Chicago. Still, that record could be tough to overcome.”
Selling Matt Eberflus will be impossible without more wins.
That is the simple fact. Five wins in one and a half seasons is unacceptable for any franchise, especially the Bears. Yes, it’s acknowledged the team embraced full rebuild mode when they gutted the roster of proven veterans last year. Even so, improvement should be expected going into the second season. There hasn’t been much of that on either side of the ball. Unless Eberflus can produce a modestly better record than his 3-14 campaign from last season, it will be impossible to sell another year of him to the fans.
There are eight games left. Three of them are against opponents in the thick of the playoff chase, and another two are against teams that have already beaten them once this year. One of the easiest games is tonight on Thursday Night Football against a one-win Carolina Panthers team. If Matt Eberflus can’t pull off a victory against them, that will be a potential death blow to any idea of him getting a third season. There is no way the organization can convince people he should stick around to oversee the potential development of a new quarterback.
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