The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs has walked back a previous report stating that Matt Eberflus had a 4-year contract
The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs has been on the Chicago Bears’ beat for almost a quarter of a century. Over that time, he’s broken his fair share of stories and has been one of the most objective reporters on the beat.
While most NFL coaching hires over the last few years have received 5-year contracts, Biggs mentioned in an article this past January that he believed Matt Eberflus’ deal was only for four years.
With how the Bears have operated in the past and Eberflus not having perhaps the pedigree as some of the other recent hires, it wasn’t a surprising report and one that pleased many Bears fans.
While Biggs has been a top-notch reporter in Chicago, nobody bats 1.000.
This morning in his mailbag, Biggs’ walked back his previous statement and now believes that Eberflus’ contract is five years in length.
This is from Brad Biggs’ Wednesday morning mailbag:
“While I was under the assumption Eberflus signed a four-year contract when he was hired, I’m now led to believe he actually signed a five-year deal that runs through the 2026 season. If you think about it, when you’re selling the idea of a rebuild and preaching patience, it stands to reason Eberflus would seek a deal longer than four years, and from what I’m told, I believe he got that. You may recall I asked Eberflus directly about the length of his contract when he was hired, and he declined to say.”
This piece of information changes everything. It means that when most Bears fans wanted Eberflus to be fired at the end of the 2023 season, it wasn’t even on the table at Halas Hall.
It also means that the Bears may be more inclined to keep Eberflus after this season. Keep in mind, only one time in franchise history have the Chicago Bears fired a coach with more than one year remaining on his contract and that was Marc Trestman who was fired after just two seasons.
The 2014 Bears were a trainwreck and keeping Trestman was untenable. You would have to imagine the 2024 Bears would also have to be in just as difficult of a situation for the Bears to make that decision again.
The Bears are at a critical point in franchise history where they have to ensure the development of Caleb Williams. Having the right coach in place is a critical part of that equation. Will money factor into that decision as well? You would love to say no, but there’s nothing that’s been done at Halas Hall in previous years that would suggest it won’t be a major factor (For what it’s worth, Biggs believes it wouldn’t be a factor.)
Will the presence of Kevin Warren and the new look front office change that mindset? Only time will tell.
