Chicago Bears Are Quietly Researching Head Coach Candidates

If one were to look at the Washington loss on Sunday in a vacuum, it wasn't enough to get a head coach fired. Yes, Matt Eberflus made some mistakes late that led to the Chicago Bears losing. However, his team also fought back from a 12-0 deficit to retake the lead 15-12. The problem is this isn't an isolated incident. Fumbling leads in the final minutes has become an alarming trend for Eberflus dating back to last year. Look at the Denver, Detroit, and Cleveland games for a reminder. Coming up short in tight games is not a reputation you want your head coach to have.

That could be why the Bears brass have quietly started researching potential replacements. A source informed SM of this development, with both team president Kevin Warren and GM Ryan Poles involved. Mind you, they have not made the decision to fire Eberflus. He managed to steady the ship last year, and they are hopeful he can again. That said, it is hard to ignore the cracks in the foundation. They've questioned the coaching staff's ability to keep guys focused on details and avoiding sloppy mistakes. Eberflus has work to do if he is going to save his job.

The Chicago Bears aim to have a list of options ready if needed.

That is what the early research is about. Poles and Warren don't want to get caught unprepared if Eberflus can't get the team where it should be. Remember, the head coach has one year left on his contract. The Bears will not keep him around as a lame duck. That means either an extension or a change. At 4-3, nobody is hitting the panic button yet. Wins against Arizona and New England over the next two weeks should calm things down before the toughest stretch of the schedule.

Still, Eberflus can't hide from the facts. He is 14-27 as a head coach, including 3-17 on the road and 1-13 against teams with winning records. His offenses have failed to take any discernable leap in quality despite massive talent additions and a staff change over the past two years. The Chicago Bears won't fire him midseason regardless of what happens, but preparations are underway to act quickly in the event a change happens.

Three names mentioned that are atop their list, at least for the moment, are said to be Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.