LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – In the final weeks of the regular season and across the first two days of their offseason, the Bears stayed mum on head coach Matt Eberflus' future with the organization.
On Wednesday, the team confirmed that Eberflus will return for a third season on the job in Chicago. That decision followed a methodical evaluation and a series of meetings at Halas Hall on Monday and Tuesday.
In explaining why he has confidence in Eberflus, general manager Ryan Poles pointed to his leadership amid adversity as a key factor in bringing him back.
"I really think that the head coach needs to guide the ship when he sees storms and really keep everything settled," Poles said. "When you go through hard times, you need to keep everyone together. I think that's like a critical piece in a big market like this. You have to be strong. If he's jumping off a boat and everyone else starts jumping off the boat, it's a hot mess. So, the stability is a big piece of it.
"I saw a lot of progress. There's a reason why we went from three to seven wins. The player aspect of it is important but also the detail and bringing the team together through those hard times, allowing us to push through. You saw a lot of those wins happen at the back of the season. If it's not for him, I don't think that's the case. I think it starts to crumble, everyone starts to do their own thing. To me, that was a critical piece of that.
"What I pride myself on, really pride our entire organization, is we take this step after the season to let the dust settle, let the emotions get out and make the most sound decision that you possibly can make. That's what we did the last few days, is just make sure we settle down, look at the big picture and make sure we're going in the right direction."
Eberflus is 10-24 in his Bears tenure. Chicago was an NFL-worst 3-14 in 2022, a rebuilding season in which its roster was torn down. The team showcased improvement with its 7-10 mark this past season.
On Wednesday morning, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and several members of their offensive coaching staff, decisions that Eberflus claimed were his own doing. While the Bears conducted an evaluation of Eberflus' body of work, Poles said he didn't establish contact with prospective candidates like Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to get a sense of their interest.
Poles made the decision to retain Eberflus, he said, though the choice was made with input from chairman George McCaskey and president/CEO Kevin Warren.
"The worst thing you can do for an organization making progress is to turn around too quickly," Warren said.
"We're not where we want to be. We're not where we're going to be. But we're going in the right direction."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
