Matt Eberflus is making headlines now after the Chicago Bears suffered a controversial loss against the Detroit Lions during their Thanksgiving Day 2024 face-off. Speculation is circulating on social media that the NFL coach could be fired from his current team, but has that been confirmed?
Learn all about Eberflus below and his future with the Bears.
Matt Is the Chicago Bears’ Head Coach
Eberflus had been working as the Chicago Bears’ head coach since 2022.
Was Matt Fired by the Bears?
Matt Eberflus opens his presser with this… pic.twitter.com/bFnBmWd39m
— Barroom Network | Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) November 28, 2024
Eberflus was reportedly fired by the Bears on November 29 — one day after his now-former team lost against the Detroit Lions. According to multiple outlets, he was fired just hours after a press conference, in which Eberflus told the media he was “confident” he’d be back to coach the team in the December 8 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Speculation in the sports world had been swirling since the team’s loss against the Lions on Thanksgiving.
Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt weighed in about the team’s loss while speaking with NBC Chicago, and he emphasized that the players’ responses to a coach can determine their overall success.
“Coaches can lose games, but you can never lose the locker room. If you lose the locker room, you’re done, OK?” Wannstedt told the outlet. “And I don’t like what I’m hearing from the players afterwards. I don’t like the vibe. To me, if I’m George McCaskey, that’s what I’m looking at. We’ve had some blunders and there’s a thousand reasons why … Where’s my football team at? Do they still believe? That’s the key when you get in this situation.”
Eberflus faced major backlash from football fans for not calling a timeout in the final seconds of the game. He, instead, let the clock run out. This resulted in the Lions’ win, even though the Bears had a fighting chance.
He Worked for Several Other NFL Teams
Before he became the Bears’ head coach, Eberflus served as the linebacker coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to 2010. The following year, he worked for the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff until 2017. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts.
Matt Was a Football Player in College
Eberflus was a football player while attending the University of Toledo, eventually becoming a team captain. Afterward, Eberflus worked as a student assistance coach, then a graduate assistant. He was later inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
He Is a Dad to Two Kids
Outside of football, Eberflus is married to his wife, Kelly, and they share two children together.