WATCH: Matt Eberflus has a BLAND reaction to Ryan Poles being quizzed about Jim Harbaugh despite Bears extending the HC’s tenure

Poles said the Bears will stick with coach Eberflus.

WATCH: Matt Eberflus has a BLAND reaction to Ryan Poles being quizzed about Jim Harbaugh despite Bears extending the HC’s tenure

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (Screengrab YouTube and Imago)

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had to answer several difficult questions during yesterday’s press brief. Considering the recent trend of head coaches losing their jobs, the press came prepared to ask Poles about the future of Matt Eberflus.

Perhaps they did not expect Eberflus to sit right beside Poles during the interview. Yet that mattered little as one of the reporters threw the question, which the entire room wanted answers to. Did the Bears have any chat with Jim Harbaugh?

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A reporter asked,

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Did Jim Harbaugh and his agent [Don Yee], and if not, why not?

Poles replied,

No, I haven't talked to Jim. He is the coach of Michigan. We are going with Matt [Eberflus]. I didn't go talk to anybody.

The question wasn’t out of place because Harbaugh is one of the hottest commodities to return to an NFL head coaching job. But to ask it in the presence of Eberflus was endearing. He probably wasn’t expecting such a question, and his expression said it all.

Matt Eberflus is safe for at least one more year in Chicago

Unlike Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who saw the chop from the coaching department, Eberflus is safe. For the time being. They will be looking to add a new OC in the coming days and are also making a list for the defensive coordinator’s spot. The former DC Alan Williams suddenly quit in the middle of September last year. Since then, Eberflus has been the one calling the play.

Going into the 2024 NFL season, the Bears aim to improve on this year’s results. So they preferred keeping Eberflus over making any changes to the head coaching position.

WATCH: Matt Eberflus has a BLAND reaction to Ryan Poles being quizzed about Jim Harbaugh despite Bears extending the HC’s tenure
Bears coach Matt Eberflus walks the sideline against the Packers on Jan. 7, 2024, at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Image via IMAGO)

Ryan Poles said,

When you go through hard times and he can keep everyone together, to me, that's the critical piece. In a big market like this, you have to be strong. If he's jumping off the boat and everyone else starts jumping off the boat, it's a hot mess. So the stability was a big piece of it.

Consistency is key to any franchise’s success. One very good example is the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they rarely make any changes in the coaching department. Mike Tomlin has been in Pittsburgh for almost two decades and has yet to have a losing season.

But that’s not the case with the Eberflus, who have won just 10 games since he took over from Matt Nagy in 2022. In a league where winning is the be-all and end-all, keeping a coach with a horrible win record is gutsy. Yet sometimes franchises need to gamble on certain individuals rather than look for a new guy once they start to underperform. But more importantly, the player’s perspective should also be taken into account.

There's a reason why we went from three to seven wins. The player aspect of it is important, but so is the detail and bringing the team together. Sticking through those hard times allowed us to push through, and you saw a lot of those wins happening towards the back end of the season.
Poles said

Besides keeping the 53-year-old, Poles also hinted at moving forward with quarterback Justin Fields. Even though the Bears have the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (via the Carolina Panthers), Fields might still be at Soldier Field next season.

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