Chicago Bears insider's revealing tidbit highlights Ben Johnson's fear
The Chicago Bears made the unquestioned right decision on Friday morning when the team announced the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus.
Marking the first time that the Bears have ever fired a head coach in-season, the organization erred in the process in which Eberflus' firing came to be.
Rather than informing Eberflus on Thursday night or immediately as he entered Halas Hall on Friday of his firing, the organization let the former head coach conduct his traditional press conference he has with reporters the morning after a game. In the nine-minute press conference, it was clear that Eberflus was given no assurances that he was going to be the Bears' head coach moving forward. Sure enough, two hours later, the Bears officially announced that Eberflus was fired.
For all the pitfalls Eberflus had as a head coach, the way in which is firing was handled by the Bears was an egregious misstep for the organization. While teams and coaches across the NFL are used to in-season coaching changes, the way it was handled by the Bears is being looked down upon across the league.
You're in the minority. It's a move that doesn't shine brightly on the organization and PLENTY of folks leaguewide noticed.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) November 30, 2024
While the ascension of Caleb Williams will have candidates drawn to the job, the way in which Eberflus' firing was handled will also turn candidates away. Even before Friday's events at Halas Hall, prominent coaching candidate Ben Johnson already had reservations about becoming the next head coach of the Bears. The way the Bears hung Eberflus out to dry on Friday may only add to Johnson's reservations about expressing interest in the team's head coaching vacancy.
The improvement of the Bears' media relations is something the team touted this past season after hiring Ted Crews away from the Kansas City Chiefs' organization. Crews, along with team president Kevin Warren, were meant to usher in a new era of communication and organization from the Bears. Instead, the organization continues to be plagued with weirdness that is far from how successful football organizations operate in modern times.
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