Matt Eberflus has wasted every opportunity to save his job. Everything was in front of him. The Chicago Bears were 4-2 going into the bye, and the offense was humming. Two months later, they are 4-7, the defense is falling apart, and they’ve lost back-to-back heartbreakers to division rivals. Any chance of making the playoffs is dead because of tiebreakers. It was another in a long list of fumbles by a head coach who keeps proving he can’t finish in tight games. Everybody knows he is gone after the season ends. What they don’t know is whether Ryan Poles will join him.
The Bears GM had the final say on hiring Eberflus in 2022, and he was the one said to have insisted on keeping the head coach this off-season. That is a mistake he can’t escape. Is he in danger of losing his job as well? Mike Jones of The Athletic has heard from multiple people around the league that five GM names are on the hot seat.
People around the league predict three to five teams will hire new general managers this offseason, hoping that a change at the leading personnel position can spark improvement.
As the regular season reaches its final full month, several owners are weighing difficult decisions. Which general managers seemingly find themselves on shaky footing as their franchises’ hopes evaporate?
Trent Baalke, Jacksonville Jaguars
Baalke has been blessed with high draft picks, ample cap space and the patience and support of owner Shad Khan, yet he has failed to turn the Jaguars into a contender.
Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts
A late-season rebound by quarterback Anthony Richardson could help Ballard’s cause, but for the time being, an uneasiness hangs over the Colts.
Joe Schoen, New York Giants
Schoen, who became GM in 2022, now has two epic failures hanging over him: Quarterback Daniel Jones’ benching and release, and running back Saquon Barkley’s dominating season for the Philadelphia Eagles after Schoen deemed him unworthy of a handsome contract extension.
Tom Telesco, Las Vegas Raiders
Telesco is still in his first season with the Raiders, but they are 2-9 and have taken steps backward.
Andrew Berry, Cleveland Browns
The huge swing-and-miss on Deshaun Watson is a black eye on the Browns franchise, and that failed move has caused some league insiders to wonder about the stability of Berry’s job.
It isn’t hard to see why. Based on the eye test alone, the Bears GM has built a talented roster on both sides of the ball. The defense is once again of high quality, while the offense has more bite than it’s had in over a decade. Most importantly, he finally seems to have ended the miserable drought at quarterback with the selection of Caleb Williams in the draft. This team looks capable of hanging with the best in the NFC. One could argue they’re a head coach away from entering the playoff fray.
One must not forget that George McCaskey gave Ryan Pace a second chance to hire a head coach despite the three tough years he had to start his GM tenure. That led to Matt Nagy, which was an early success but fizzled out after the first year. Ryan Poles seems to have done enough good things to justify another shot at getting it right. The job is certain to be in demand. Chicago has the quarterback. They have a capable roster. They’re ready to win.
