NFC North news: Chicago Bears fire head coach Matt Eberflus

Eberflus is the first head coach the Bears have ever fired in the middle of a season.

Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bears head coach head coach Matt Eberflus against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For the first time in their 105-year history, the Chicago Bears have fired their head coach in the middle of the season. They've let go of Matt Eberflus, a decision that seemed inevitable after disastrous clock management played a key role in the Bears' sixth consecutive loss on Thursday.

Eberflus chose not to call a timeout as the clock expired on a 23-20 loss against the Lions in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving. It was Chicago's third consecutive devastating defeat against an NFC North opponent and its sixth one-score loss this season. The loss dropped the Bears to 4-8.

After the game, Eberflus said he thought the Bears handled the final play the right way, but it just didn't work out the way they wanted it to. That quote, as much as the play itself, felt like the nail in the coffin for him.

Strangely, the Bears allowed Eberflus to hold a normal press conference on Friday morning, then fired him just a couple hours later.

Hired in the same 2022 cycle that landed the Vikings Kevin O'Connell, Eberflus went 14-32 as the Bears' head coach. He was 2-13 against the NFC North and just 5-17 in one-score games, which is the worst mark ever among 221 NFL coaches who have had at least 20 games decided by one score.

Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who replaced fired OC Shane Waldron a couple weeks ago, takes over as the Bears' interim head coach.

It'll be interesting to see if general manager Ryan Poles, who was also hired in 2022, gets to stick around and choose a second head coach this offseason. The Bears have seen some very promising flashes from Caleb Williams over the last three games, but they absolutely have to get the HC decision right this time around.

The Vikings are set to host the Bears in a rematch at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 15.