The Bears ultimately fired Matt Eberflus. But he lost the locker room a long time ago

Another crushing, confusing loss for the Chicago Bears meant another postgame speech from head coach Matt Eberflus about “sticking together” to a frustrated, crowded locker room at Ford Field in Detroit.

This time, however, team captain Jaylon Johnson wasn’t in the mood.

Not after losing another winnable game — a 23-20 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving.

Not after another day of highly questionable coaching decisions.

That postgame message required a different tone, a different mood and probably a different voice. Like many Bears players, Johnson had enough. They were tired of finding new ways to give away games and wanted accountability and answers.

“Jaylon went crazy,” one Bears player said. “He was very emotional and angry, but rightly so. He’s been here longer than most.”

Another player said: “It went even better at (Eberflus).”

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According to several players and staff in the locker room, some players asked why Eberflus didn’t call a timeout. Other players also made their way.

“The boys were angry,” said one employee. “It’s been a buildup this season.”

“The locker room was ugly,” another employee said. “There was a lot of screaming.”

The first player said: “We felt as players that we fought our way back into games to lose too many times due to poor time management and poor decision making.”

Multiple sources added that emotions between the players and their head coach were so high that Eberflus left the locker room immediately after his speech and exchange with the players. There was nothing left to say. It was a moment for this Bears team that would inevitably force chairman George McCaskey to do something the franchise had never done before.

By Friday morning, Eberflus was out — but not before the team decided to have him speak to the media via Zoom just after 9 a.m. Two hours later he was gone. The Bears made it official by sharing statements from general manager Ryan Poles and president/CEO Kevin Warren.

A team source said McCaskey, Poles and Warren met during the scheduled press conference. At this point, no decision had been made about Eberflus’ future, so there was no reason to delay the press event, which could be a sign that something big was afoot. When the decision was made to fire Eberflus, the press conference was over.

With two years left on his five-year contract, Eberflus became the first head coach ever fired by the Bears during a season. While Eberflus was popular with some in the building, his records in one-score games (5-19, the NFL’s worst record during his tenure) and in NFC North matchups (2-13) were abysmal. His decision to hire Shane Waldron as quarterback Caleb Williams’ first offensive coordinator in the NFL resulted in a dysfunctional debacle within weeks. And his time management and football situational awareness were even worse.

Unfortunately for the Bears, what happened in the final 32 seconds in Detroit wasn’t the first time Eberflus’ decision-making had people in Halas Hall or at home wondering whether he was up to the job.

The unraveling began weeks earlier when the team suffered a disastrous defeat against the Washington Commanders. In that game, the defense allowed a Hail Mary touchdown in the final seconds. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson completely missed his assignment and dumped the ball into the hands of Noah Brown for the game-winning touchdown. To make matters worse, Stevenson was caught interacting with fans just before the game. Eberflus informed Stevenson days later that he would not start against the Arizona Cardinals. Upset by the news, Stevenson briefly left practice to compose himself before returning.

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The players accepted this, but what some team leaders didn’t like was that Eberflus evaded responsibility for his own coaching mistakes. The players pointed to the piece before the Ave Maria. Eberflus allowed Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to complete a 13-yard pass on the second-to-last play of the game, then called a no-timeout before the Hail Mary to discuss his defense and calm his emotions.

When asked about it by reporters, Eberflus downplayed the significance of Daniels’ 13-yard completion to receiver Terry McLaurin and even doubled down on his decision, which many believe was one of the mistakes.

“That didn’t sit well in the locker room,” said one player.

“It didn’t go right,” said the second player. “He lost the defensive guys this week.”

As the Bears’ losing streak mounted, Eberflus’ tone and message changed as he discussed the team’s recent struggles. He seemed to go out of his way to take the blame for almost everything. His subsequent attempts to take responsibility felt disingenuous to the players.

It was too little, too late. The damage was done in Washington and in the days that followed.

Eberflus never led his team through that defeat.

“As a leader of men,” said one of the Bears players, “you should take the blame for everything that happens under your watch.”

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The first signal that the Bears would operate differently this season was the firing of Waldron on Nov. 12, which came two days after the 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots and just nine games into his tenure as offensive coordinator .

For the Bears, it was a break with the past. The team had also never fired an offensive coordinator during the season.

Players’ frustration with Waldron had been simmering since the summer. The new offensive coordinator transformed the Bears’ running game, erasing two years of progress under offensive line coach Chris Morgan. His decision to implement a pure progression passing system – a challenge even for experienced QBs – made things even more complicated for Williams. Players expressed concerns to their head coach several times but rarely felt heard.

Bears players believe offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (left) was a poor choice in developing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Receiver Keenan Allen told reporters at Halas Hall after Waldron’s dismissal that Waldron was “too nice a guy,” an opinion shared by other players. “He just didn’t demand things properly,” said one player. That included how Waldron handled coaching Williams.

After the loss to the Patriots, things got more and more exciting in Halas Hall. Some team executives even floated the idea of ​​benching Williams in favor of backup Tyson Bagent, believing Waldron’s system would harm the rookie’s growth. Two days later, Waldron was fired. A team source said Warren wants change.

Eberflus considered keeping Waldron on the staff, but it didn’t happen.

“What they screwed up was Shane and the fact that he was made coordinator from the start,” the player said.

Thomas Brown, then the team’s passing game coordinator, was named offensive coordinator and immediately caused a stir among everyone involved in the offense. Even assistant coaches hired by Waldron quickly came to Brown. His communication style and leadership skills earned him the respect of players and staff.

“There’s definitely been a little better communication from the top down as far as what we’re trying to accomplish,” wide receivers coach Chris Beatty said The athletic one in an interview before Thanksgiving. “I think there are expanded roles for everyone. This allowed some people to come forward with new ideas and different approaches.”

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Under Brown’s leadership, the pure progression passing scheme was retained, but other concepts and plays were added to get the ball out of Williams’ hands more quickly. The Bears turned to tighter formations and more movement.

“Instead of constantly doing pure progressions and reading the whole field, we changed some of those thoughts to allow 1-to-2 (reads) to use your legs,” Beatty said. “And so these things show up.”

The biggest change discussed among players is Brown’s leadership presence, something the Bears had been missing. One player suggested that the way Brown carries himself during his press conferences only gives a glimpse into how he operates behind the scenes. The bears are bought.

“He’s in charge — and he’s done a great job,” Beatty said. “We were missing a lot of that at the beginning (on offense). So I think these things have come up. It’s a…clearer line of communication than before.”

In a span of 18 days, Brown was promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator and now interim head coach. The Bears now face the challenge of finding stability in a season marked by change. The early signs have been promising, but his ability to shake up the dressing room while driving Williams’ development will be closely watched by Poles and Warren. He will continue to call plays.

“He’s just a direct person – direct, honest,” quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph said The athletic one before the Lions game. “He knows what he wants to convey and is convinced of it. And he is Thomas. That’s what you love about being around him. Caleb was good. This relationship was good and they just continue to grow in it.

“To be elite there is a certain way to do things and he knows that. That’s what Thomas brings with him. There’s a certain way to do it – and it’s the right way to do it. And that’s how we’re going to do it. If you say “direct,” then that’s what it is. It’s authentic. It’s honest and he understands what it takes to be elite as a player and as a team.”

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The next five weeks can be considered an extended interview for Brown. Williams could be an integral part of what comes next for the Bears, but now Brown has to prove he can relate to everyone on the roster and not cost his team games.

For a team desperate for accountability and clear direction, Brown could be the leader they’ve been looking for.

“He has an authenticity about him that is contagious and that everyone responds to,” tight ends coach Jim Dray said in an interview with The athletic one before Thanksgiving. “Very clear, very concise, very measured against expectations – and he holds everyone accountable.”

(Top photo: Brooke Sutton / Getty Images)