Chicago Bears in familiar territory at start of 2024 offseason

As Aaron Jones broke through a few more arm tackles on his way to securing the game-clinching first down, the Packers sideline celebrated a playoff birth in what was supposed to be a ‘rebuilding’ year with a young and inexperienced quarterback. Their opponent, our Chicago Bears, could only watch as most of them found themselves in all too familiar territory.

The Bears entered the 2023 season hopeful of their quarterback and hopeful of their coaching staff. They now enter the offseason unsure of either.

During Wednesday’s press conference, the Bears announced the departures of their offensive personnel (including Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy). Still, they committed to Head Coach Matt Eberflus to command this team next season. If you were to look at the following facts, it is easy to make an argument for keeping “Flus.”

• Went from 3 wins to 7 wins in his second year with the team despite losing his starting QB for four games

• His defense led the league in interceptions

• Justin Fields improved as a quarterback

There are areas of concern with Flus, notably the late-game collapses, but those things happen with newer Head Coaches, and I’m sure you can chalk it up to a learning opportunity.

Another black spot for this season was the unexplained dismissal of two coaches (DC Alan Williams and RB Coach David Walker) for “not living up to the organization’s standards.”

The final ‘straw’ for some fans may have been the season finale loss to the Packers. Flus’s 0-4 record against the divisional rivals carries much more weight with the fanbase than it probably does with the front office. After all, they don’t care about any of the ones before their tenure.

The frustrating part about this offseason is that it has that familiar taste of failure. It’s been well documented that this franchise continues to modify its structure out of order and, therefore, fails to maintain any kind of hierarchal continuity.

Phil Emery was stuck with Lovie Smith, John Fox and Matt Nagy were stuck with Mitch Trubisky, and Eberflus was given Justin Fields. Bears fans, rightfully so, are now concerned that Caleb Williams will walk into a situation where a new head coach in 2025 will be “stuck” with him, and the cycle will continue to perpetuate itself.

While Eberflus has been fine, this offseason lined up PERFECTLY for the Bears. They have a young and improving team, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with an elite quarterback prospect, and a plethora of coaching candidates. If Poles is living by the mantra of “leaving no stone unturned,” then why not at least explore an upgrade at Head Coach?

Admitting that a phone call to Jim Harbaugh was never even considered is malpractice for a man whose job is to explore every option to improve the team. Maybe he is ALL IN on Matt Eberflus, but if that’s the case, there should be some hints of a contract extension. Attracting an established Offensive Coordinator will be much more challenging with no extension in place. A veteran Offensive Coordinator will probably look for a) job stability and b) an answer at quarterback. While the Bears could be set up at both, a lot is still up in the air.

Sure, the offseason could play out favorably, but as we watched Jordan Love celebrate a playoff birth in his first year starting, we were quickly reminded that they usually don’t for the Chicago Bears.

What do you think, Bears fans? Has Ryan Poles made some missteps early this offseason? Create your free user account and comment! And if you’d like an ad-free experience on Bears Talk, consider upgrading to a premium account. It’s just $3.49 per month (or better yet, $29.99 per year.) You’ll unlock our exclusive NFL Draft content, too. Bear Down!