Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has seen his name become a cursed utterance in the state of Illinois, as his three-year stint as head coach was marked by a lack of winning, a culture that looked no different than past failed regimes, and an inability to maximize Caleb Williams.
While it may be a few years (if ever again) before Eberflus gets even a sniff as a head coach, teams around the league are seemingly lining up for the chance to bring him in and let him take charge of an underperforming defense.
Eberflus has interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons' vacant defensive coordinator job, as Raheem Morris is looking for someone to come in and fix their defense following the firing of Jimmy Lake. This was Eberflus' first defensive coordinator interview during this cycle, and it likely won't be his last.
This goes to show the league doesn't think that much less of Eberflus after his nightmare of a stint with the Bears. No matter what happened in Bears orange and blue, Atlanta thinks Eberflus' sharp defensive mind could set them apart from the rest of the NFC South.
Falcons interview former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus for defensive coordinator role
After Eberflus started to take a more active role in the defensive structure during his second season with the Bears, Chicago instantly started performing like a Top 10 unit. Eberflus' defense allowed more than 20 points just three times out of 13 possible games after Week 4 of 2023, and they were off to a strong start once again in 2024.
The fall-off the Bears had to suffer through in overall defensive performance and execution after Eberflus was fired was noticeable to even the untrained eye. The development of several young cornerstones on the Chicago defense can be attributed to him.
Eberflus, who had success as a linebackers coach with the Dallas Cowboys and a defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts, has value as a defensive mind with experience. With how high-octane the Falcons' offense projects to be, the addition of Eberflus could be exactly what this team needs.
Eberflus may be persona non grata in Chicago after a very disappointing tenure, but his status as a quality defensive mind is still very much in tact. As long as he has nothing to do with helping Michael Penix Jr. and the offense (or creating a culture), Eberflus could have a very successful stint in Atlanta.