Matt Eberflus could have been coaching the Chicago Bears in Week 14 had he used both his hands to signal a timeout in those dying seconds. He may have received one more week to at least try and turn things around with the likes of Caleb Williams and the team heating up.
But Eberflus’ thinking took far too long when his quarterback had the ball in his hands with less than six seconds remaining in the game. That one missed timeout became the final nail in the Bears HC coffin for the 54-year-old. But it was not the only reason that led to his firing.
In fact, over the past several games, it was being increasingly evident that something was amiss in the locker room. Firing their OC was seen as a stop gap solution to their stuttering offense. New OC Thomas Brown has brought life back into the team, but it does not help mask Eberflus’ mistakes.
The body language of players suggested Matt Eberflus had lost the locker room. On top of that, in their last six straight losses, the most telling factor was the now former head coach’s in-game mismanagement. The missed timeout being the worst of them all amidst all those signs, Stephen A. Smith had a question for the Bears.
That man Eberflus should have been fired the minute they landed back in Chicago. If it were me, he might have been fired on Ford Field. He would have taken a commercial flight home.
Stephen A. Smith said on First Take
“That man Eberflus should have been fired the minute they landed back in Chicago.”
—@stephenasmith 👀 pic.twitter.com/YPLUZ1xVls
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 29, 2024
What appalled the analyst was that Matt Eberflus’ issues were evident on many occasions. But the fact that the Chicago Bears took so much time to fire him did not make sense to Smith. His latest gaffe should have led to an immediate dismissal.
Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus late into the day
Stephen A. Smith would have left Matt Eberflus at Ford Field with a dismissal letter in his hands. The Chicago Bears, though, were a bit more lenient and waited until the next day back in their city to do the needful. However, new information suggests they waited a bit too long.
The Bears really made Matt Eberflus do a 9 AM Zoom conference and then fired him.
Dave on Matt Eberflus
Dave, a reporter for Sports Mockery and was seemingly in a zoom call with Matt Eberflus, suggesting that GM Ryan Poles was still in discussions with those higher up about his decision. Dave suggested the situation was hilarious when considering that they should have completed their discussions earlier.
The Bears really made Matt Eberflus do a 9 AM Zoom conference and then fired him.
Honestly hilarious but total Bears.
— Dave (@dave_bfr) November 29, 2024
It would have been better if Eberflus was informed the moment he came into work. Instead, he performed a work call and then had to start packing his things up. Thomas Brown has an interim nameplate hanging outside Eberflus’ office at the moment until they hire someone officially.
Related: Matt Eberflus set to make a staggering $583,000 per month for the next 2 years despite getting fired from Bears
