Matt Eberflus faced a difficult task when he took over the Chicago Bears. He wouldn’t be able to choose his own quarterback. The team already had a talented former 1st round pick in place with Justin Fields. That meant the new head coach would have to find a way to make their relationship work. He’d have to sell the 23-year-old on his plan for the offense while also building a strong relationship off the field as well.
That isn’t easy to do, contrary to popular belief. One misstep along the way and Eberflus could instantly make a doubter of his new quarterback. Thankfully it sounds as if that isn’t the case. Not only has his vision for the team won over Fields, but their connection has also had a chance to grow over the past month. The quarterback revealed as much during an interview with Bleacher Report, where he took time to indulge in one of his favorite hobbies with Eberflus and the coaching staff.
“It’s been awesome,” he said. “They’re great coaches, of course, but also great people. We spent a little bit of time together; we actually went golfing together. Just kind of getting to know those guys away from the facility and getting to know them more on a personal level was awesome.”
Matt Eberflus chose his moment well.
Not only is golf a popular way to relax, but it’s also time-consuming. A typical 18 holes of golf can take anywhere from three to five hours, depending on the size of the party. That would give the head coach plenty of time to converse with his quarterback, discussing all sorts of football-related topics. The more information Eberflus has, the better equipped he’ll be to help Fields play better. Not to mention this is a great way to connect on a personal level.
There is no way to know if all this effort will help make the kid a better quarterback. It certainly can’t hurt, though. Matt Eberflus wants to show Fields that he has an ally in the head coach. Too often it felt like that wasn’t the case with the previous regime, both in how they handled him on the field and in front of the media. This time feels different. Eberflus may not be an offensive guy by trade, but he at least understands the importance of good communication with his quarterback.
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