Most reputable insiders have hinted that Matt Eberflus is on borrowed time. It has been building for the past few weeks. Unless he manages to lead the Chicago Bears on a winning streak over the final five games, expectations are he is most likely getting fired. Team president Kevin Warren seems intent on shaking things up, and Eberflus hasn’t done enough to justify being part of this team’s long-term vision. That leads to the obvious question of who takes over as the head coach next year.
Several names have been connected to the team via various rumors. Jim Harbaugh is the obvious one. It is no secret that he is interested, but this time, the Bears are also having internal discussions about him. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson are also two names they’re researching. The same goes for Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has ties to both Warren and GM Ryan Poles. However, one source informed SM that there is another name the organization has watched with interest.
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.
MacDonald would be a different animal from Matt Eberflus.
It isn’t a coincidence that the Ravens defense transformed back into a juggernaut when he took over in 2022. The year before that, they were 25th in the league. He got them up to 9th his first year. Now they’re 2nd. His ability to maximize personnel while also using several creative methods to confuse opposing quarterbacks is a big reason Baltimore is on track to reach the playoffs again. He also produced a top-10 unit in college with Michigan the year before returning to the NFL. This guy produces results everywhere he goes.
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Bears fans won’t be wild about the idea of another defensive coach running the team. However, MacDonald does have one argument in his favor. He’s been groomed by two of the best coaches in the business, Jim and John Harbaugh. Both have had sustained success throughout their careers, and both have proven they understand how to develop young quarterbacks. Jim did it with Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. John did it with Joe Flacco and now Lamar Jackson.
If he’s as smart as many people claim, hitting him is far from crazy if you’re the Bears. He isn’t Matt Eberflus.
