Prophetic John Fox Quote Indicates Bears Players Are In Trouble

Chicago Bears players likely breathed a sigh of relief when the news came down that Matt Eberflus had been fired. After weeks of building tension with the former head coach due to his constant lack of accountability and poor situational management, the nightmare was over. They are free. Thomas Brown is in charge now. He is somebody they like and respect. Things will get better, right? Well, it is never that simple in the NFL. Making big changes like firing the head coach always brings consequences. Few know this better than John Fox.

The former head coach was highly successful in his career spanning almost two decades. One of the reasons for that was his understanding of what a winning culture looks like. Yes, coaches can be a big problem for losing teams. The problem is that they often aren't the only reason. Players must shoulder the blame too. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune relayed a quote from Fox from 16 years ago when he first took over the Carolina Panthers. It seems rather prophetic.

I’m reminded of the story former Carolina defensive tackle Brentson Buckner shared regarding Fox’s initial meeting with Panthers players when he was hired in 2002.

“You were 1-15 and they got rid of all the coaches,” Fox said, according to Buckner. “None of those coaches played. None of those coaches dressed on Sunday. A lot of reasons you were 1-15 are sitting in this room, and it’s my job to weed you out.

John Fox isn't the first coach to reach that conclusion.

Mike Ditka had the same type of meeting when he took over the Bears in 1982. He bluntly told them that they wouldn't be there much longer. Both men lived up to their promises. Fox replaced eight starters that first year alone in 2002. Facts are facts. This current Bears team is 4-8 and has gone on a six-game losing streak. Bill Parcells said you are what your record says you are. It would be incredibly naive if most of the players in that locker room assume they're safe going into 2025.

That is far from true.

Outside of some obvious names like Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, Montez Sweat, and Jaylon Johnson, nobody can be called truly safe. The next head coach will have his own ideas of what types of players he wants. Many of the ones Eberflus pushed for may not make that list. It would be wise for everybody in that locker room to gain some personal motivation over the final five weeks. There is a strong possibility several of them are in danger of losing their jobs. John Fox was right about that much.