What Happened to Matt Eberflus? Chicago Bears Head Coach Firing Explained

As a long-suffering Bears fan with more years under my belt than I care to count, the news of Matt Eberflus‘ firing came as both a shock and a relief. The team’s string of disappointments this season has been nothing short of excruciating, and Eberflus’ last-minute blunder against the Lions was the final nail in the coffin.

On a surprising turn of events, Matt Eberflus was relieved of his duties as the Chicago Bears’ head coach on Friday morning, marking the first time the team has parted ways with its head coach during the season. Many Bears fans who witnessed the Thanksgiving game against the Lions were left speechless by the final moments of the match and could comprehend why he was let go the following day, November 29. Here’s an explanation for why Eberflus was dismissed in the 2024 NFL season and Thomas Brown was appointed as interim head coach instead.

Why was Matt Eberflus fired as the Bears’ head coach?

In the game against the Lions, Eberflus was dismissed due to his mishandling of the game clock. Instead of using a timeout when needed, he allowed approximately 30 seconds to elapse at the end of the match, preventing the Bears from gaining additional yards for a potential game-tying field goal try.

Additionally, it didn’t make things better that the defeat at the hands of the Lions prolonged Coach Eberflus’ losing streak to six consecutive games, many of which were humiliating for the Bears. This sequence includes a long pass by the Commanders in Week 8 resulting in a loss for the Bears, a blocked field goal that gave the Packers the win in Week 11, and an overtime loss against the Vikings in Week 12. Since taking over as head coach of the Bears in January 2022, Eberflus has a disappointing win-loss record of 14-32.

It appears that his unexpected setback during the Lions game proved to be the decisive factor. On Friday, Ryan Poles, the general manager of the Bears, announced in a statement that George McCaskey, the chairman, and Kevin Warren, the president, had chosen to alter their approach regarding the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position. This decision was made mere hours after Eberflus held a press conference where he expressed his intent to continue leading the Bears.

Thomas Brown has been appointed as the temporary head coach, following his promotion to offensive coordinator when Eberflus dismissed Shane Waldron during Week 11. Brown previously played in the NFL with both the Falcons and Browns and has coaching experience with the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, and various college teams.

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2024-11-30 00:40