Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
The Chicago Bears are staying true to themselves and their process over the last few years.
The franchise announced on Wednesday they will retain head coach Matt Eberflus but have fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and members of his staff.
This makes for an especially tricky situation with the question under center yet unanswered.
What do you do with Justin Fields?
Should they trade him and draft a new quarterback, they’d be repeating a cycle that has happened since 2017. The Bears traded up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft to select quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. They then fired their head coach, John Fox, a year later. Enter Matt Nagy, who was then allowed to trade up to draft Justin Fields at No. 11 overall in 2021. Nagy was fired a year later.
Eberflus will be entering his third year in 2024, with the opportunity to draft the best quarterback in the class — no trade-up required as the Bears own the No. 1 overall pick thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers.
But it could be Eberflus’ last year if Chicago’s win total doesn’t improve in 2024. It means whoever comes in as offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator — after the sudden departure of Alan Williams in Week 3 — will have one season to make it all work.
That’s an incredible amount of pressure in Chicago.
If the Bears trade Fields and draft the best quarterback in this year’s class, presumably USC’s Caleb Williams, and pair him with a new offensive coordinator, the hope is that he and Williams fit well, and immediately. With the rest of the roster in decent shape and the capital, both draft and monetary, the Bears would be able to shore up any holes that remain to insulate Williams as much as possible. Chicago could have success with a developing quarterback — or at least, that’s what the Bears would bank on — while Williams is set up for individual and sustained success himself. That’s the…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/in-retaining-matt-eberflus-bears-have-set-themselves-up-complicated-2025
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Publish date : 2024-01-10 22:40:14
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