Matt Eberflus looks like a man with his back to the wall. After a promising 4-2 start going into the bye week, his Chicago Bears have lost two in a row. One was the agonizing Hail Mary in Washington and the other was a listless beatdown in Arizona. It feels like the head coach might be losing control of the locker room. A loss on Sunday to the 2-7 New England Patriots might be the breaking point. Firing Eberflus must become a certainty in such a case. However, that decision ultimately rests with GM Ryan Poles.
He was the one who hired the head coach in 2022. The two have kept a strong bond during the tough times since. They seem to share the same vision of how to build a competitive culture. Still, Poles has never been shy about making tough decisions for the good of the franchise. Surely, he would consider moving on from Eberflus if it meant safeguarding quarterback Caleb Williams, right? Not based on what Adam Rank is hearing. The NFL Network analyst revealed on his The Sick Podcast that people close to Poles don’t believe he will fire Eberflus, regardless of what happens this season.
One thing that has characterized recent Bears history is the inability to have continuity between a head coach and a drafted quarterback. Rex Grossman switched coaches from Dick Jauron to Lovie Smith after one year. Mitch Trubisky went from John Fox to Matt Nagy after one year. Justin Fields went from Nagy to Eberflus. The cycle hasn’t been broken. It appears Poles is committed to changing that. While things haven’t gone as hoped so far this season, the Bears GM seems determined upon his course.
Continuity is a vital key to long-term success. It was why the Bears signed Eberflus to a five-year contract instead of four years. They likely knew there would be stumbling blocks. Ryan Poles wanted to ensure there wasn’t so much chaos from constant changes. He still believes in Eberflus despite the recent struggles. Keeping him into 2025 would allow Williams to stay in the same offensive system. Poles could use his considerable resources to then build further around him.
If the season spirals out of control, as many predict, such a decision will anger lots of people. The question will be whether the McCaskeys sign off on that plan.
