Matt Eberflus said from the moment he took over as head coach that things were going to change for the Chicago Bears. Especially on defense. Not just a switch from a 3-4 alignment to a 4-3 but also how the unit operates. Moving forward, all 11 players will be required to fly to the football. Eberflus called the system simple but not easy. One person that knows a lot about that is Al-Quadin Muhammad.
A former 6th round pick out of Miami in 2017, Muhammad didn’t know what to expect when Eberflus arrived as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. He quickly found out. The coach was an excellent teacher, but also somebody with sky-high standards. He expects the best from all of his players. Muhammad explained this to the Bears media during his introductory press conference. The standard is crystal clear. Either give everything you have on the field, or you don’t play.
It is not a philosophy for everybody.
One of the reasons Al-Quadin Muhammad rose from obscurity to a starter for the Colts was embracing Eberflus’ philosophy. To be great, you must be willing to grind. Never leave anything left in the tank in whatever you do. Give it 100% at all times. If a coach can get his team to do something like that, they will win many football games. Eberflus accomplished this for four years on the defensive side.
Now he’ll have a chance to do it in all three phases for the Bears. Muhammad can’t wait to be part of it. The interesting subplot is separating those who will embrace the new philosophy and those that may find it too difficult. Perhaps having the new defensive end in the locker room will help them understand exactly what’s coming this summer. It figures to be lots of hard work, both physical and mental.
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