Chicago Bears Fire Matt Eberflus: Caleb Williams Impact

The Chicago Bears fired coach Matt Eberflus on Friday. After drafting former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, the Bears have now fired his first head coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus watches quarterback Caleb Williams (18) prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After the Chicago Bears lost another game in heartbreaking fashion to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears have fired coach Matt Eberflus. After drafting former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Chicago has already fired its coach and offensive coordinator in Williams' rookie season.

"I support Ryan and the decision that was made this morning," said Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren in a statement. "We understand how imperative the head coaching role is for building and maintaining a championship-caliber team, leading our players and our organization. Our fans have stood by us and perservered through every challenge, and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operational structure is strong, focused, aligned and energized for the future.

Down 23-20 against the Lions, Eberflus decided not to call a timeout in the final seconds of the game. After Williams was sacked, the Bears were knocked out of field goal range and wasted roughly 20 seconds before getting one play off as time expired.

Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus watches quarterback Caleb Williams (18) prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After the game, Eberflus spoke to the media and defended his decision not to call a timeout.

"I think we handled it the right way. I do believe that you just re-rack the play, get it in bounds and call timeout. That’s why we held it. It didn’t work out the way we wanted it to," said Eberflus.

The Bears have lost six consecutive games, including the infamous hail mary from Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. In addition, Chicago's game-winning field goal attempt against the Green Bay Packers was blocked.

The former Trojan has led multiple drives in the fourth quarter, giving his team a chance to win the game. However, the Bears have somehow found a way to consistently lose.

Against the Lions, the Bears' final drive started on the one-yard line before Williams led the offense into field goal range. After a penalty and a sack, the Bears could only run one final play with roughly 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

Nov 28, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is sacked by Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

After the Bears scored three points against the New England Patriots in a losing effort, Eberflus fired Chicago's offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and promoted Thomas Brown. Williams has shown immediate improvements upon the change to the offense's leadership, but the team was unable to win its games.

It is the first time that the Chicago Bears organization has fired its coach in the middle of a season. With a generational talent like Williams on a rookie contract for a limited time a change was clearly needed. Brown will serve as the team's interim coach.

Who will the Bears hire to replace Eberflus? The combination of Chicago's roster and Williams' abilities make the job an enticing one. Early lists have included Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, while current USC coach Lincoln Riley is sure to be a trending name.

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