Outside of the development of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the biggest question that will need to be answered for the Chicago Bears during the 2024 season will be if Matt Eberflus is the head coach to guide the team into their contending window.
Of course, if Williams is indeed the answer for the Bears at the quarterback position, it's possible that Eberflus could ride the coattails of that success. Though, if the Bears have fourth-quarter collapses similar to the ones they had last year, Eberflus likely will be on the way out by the end of the season.
That was the main takeaway from the Bears' prediction listed in NFL Spin Zone's 2024 NFL Season prediction.
"3. Chicago Bears: 8-9Lou Scataglia, NFL Spin Zone
The Chicago Bears could view this as a successful season. Caleb Williams is likely going to start all 17 games for the team unless something major happens, and them winning eight games with a rookie QB could actually be a huge plus for the future. Playing QB in the NFL is the hardest thing to do in sports, so while it is a losing record, there is really nothing wrong with going 8-9.
However, that actually might not be good enough for head coach Matt Eberflus to keep his job."
In terms of record predictions, 8-9 is the floor for what Bears fans should expect during the 2024 season. If everything goes right including Williams having success immediately, the best-case scenario is likely one that has the Bears winning between 10 and 12 games.
If the Bears have 8 wins next season, a one-game improvement from the 2023 season, Eberflus likely will be safe with the exception being if the team struggles to close out games. It's a safer bet to believe that the Bears feel Eberflus is their man moving forward rather than him potentially being on the hot seat if he has a losing season for his third consecutive year.