Report reveals why Chicago Bears let Matt Eberflus host press conference before firing

Friday morning, it seemed like business as usual for Matt Eberflus and the Chicago Bears. The head coach held his regularly scheduled press conference at 9 a.m. CT while rumors swirled about his job status, and he said he planned to coach next week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

More than two hours later, news broke of Eberflus’ firing. That led to questions about why the Bears would let him speak with reporters only to make a move, and a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed the reason.

As it turns out, Bears chairman George McCaskey was meeting with team president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles at the same time as Eberflus’ Zoom call, Pelissero reported. Moving the press conference would’ve signaled something was in the works, but the decision wasn’t officially made by that time.

Ultimately, the trio decided to make the move and fire Eberflus after a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions marred by a late clock management issue. It marks the first time in the Bears’ 105-year history the franchise moved on from a coach during the season.

“This morning, after meeting with [chairman] George [H. McCaskey] and [President and CEO] Kevin [Warren], we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position,” Poles said in a statement announcing Eberflus’ firing. “I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward.”

Inside Matt Eberflus’ tenure as Bears head coach

Eberflus was in his third year in Chicago – his first head coaching job. He and Poles came in at the same time ahead of the 2022 season, which started the rebuild. The Bears went 3-14 and secured the No. 1 overall pick, which they flipped to the Carolina Panthers.

Chicago then went 7-10 last year, but again held the top selection because the Panthers had the worst record in the league. That brought Caleb Williams to the Windy City. But the Bears made a move at offensive coordinator after the 2023 season by parting ways with Luke Getsy, which is why Eberflus’ future came into question at the time. However, Poles made the decision to retain him after the defense turned around in the second half.

The Bears started this season with a 4-2 record, but have lost six straight games since. That includes the now-infamous Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders out of the bye week and a blocked field goal in the final seconds against the Green Bay Packers.

But the final straw came Thursday when Eberflus failed to call his third timeout as time expired in a 23-20 loss to the Lions. That ultimately lead to Friday’s decision, which will move Thomas Brown to interim head coach. He arrived as the Bears’ passing game coordinator this year, but became offensive coordinator two weeks ago after the departure of Shane Waldron.