Bears Rumors: Matt Eberflus Lands Contract to Be Head Coach to Replace Matt Nagy

Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Chicago Bears are reportedly hiring Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as the team’s next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

He’ll replace Matt Nagy, who went 34-31 in his four seasons with the team and made the playoffs twice, though he didn’t have a winning record since the team went 12-4 in his first year on the job in 2018. This past season, the Bears limped to a disappointing 6-11 mark. 

Since the Bears moved on from Lovie Smith following the 2012 season, the team has cycled through three coaches: Marc Trestman (2013-14), John Fox (2015-17) and Nagy. Only Nagy led the team to the playoffs.  

Eberflus’ job, then, is to return the team to contention and to maximize young quarterback Justin Fields, who had an up-and-down rookie season. He finished with 1,870 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing just 58.9 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 420 yards and two scores. 

Building an offense that gets the most of Fields’ skill set is priority No. 1, while new general manager Ryan Poles will be tasked with putting more playmakers around him and running back David Montgomery.

Second-year wideout Darnell Mooney (81 catches for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns) and tight end Cole Kmet (60 catches for 612 yards) showed promise in 2021, while Allen Robinson (38 catches for 410 yards and a score in 12 games) was a huge disappointment. 

Eberflus will try to maximize their output, and he brings an impressive resume to the table.

The 51-year-old brings a lengthy resume to Chicago, from his time at Toledo (1992-00) holding various roles and his eight years at Missouri (2001-08) as a defensive coordinator, to his 13 years in the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns (2009-10) and Dallas Cowboys (2011-17). 

And for the past four years he served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts, where his defenses finished top-10 in points allowed three times and top 10 in yards allowed once.

He’ll inherit a defense that finished 22nd in points allowed (23.9 PPG) this past season, though the bigger question will be whether he and his staff can develop Fields into a top quarterback.