Jay Glazer Gave His Matt Eberflus Update, And It Was Crystal Clear
Top insiders have come out of the woodwork over the past week offering their thoughts on the Matt Eberflus situation based on what they’re hearing. While none have said the decision is official, Adam Schefter and others have strongly hinted the Chicago Bears head coach will return for a third season. Count another prominent name in that mix. Jay Glazer is one of the most credible insiders in the business. He went on Fox Sports NFL to discuss the head coaching situations around the league. Bill Belichick? Out. Dennis Allen? Safe. When the subject of Eberflus came up, he was as clear as possible.
The situation is still fluid. Maybe the game in Green Bay will change things, but based on what he knows, he is confident the Bears will retain him.
It’s hard to argue the evidence at this point. Every insider worth any salt has said the likelihood is high Eberflus returns. That isn’t a huge surprise. After a rough start to 2023, he got the team to a 7-5 record in their last 12 games. Included are five straight victories at home and five wins in their last seven games. A win at Lambeau Field to knock the Packers out of the playoffs would be the cherry on the sundae.
Matt Eberflus doesn’t seem like the biggest question anymore.
That conversation has shifted to Justin Fields. Unlike the coaching situation, the Bears have serious options at quarterback thanks to the #1 overall pick they now hold. While Fields has played better down the stretch, many feel his shortcomings as a passer remain too difficult to ignore. GM Ryan Poles will have several options on the table in April. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and Michael Penix Jr. all look like potential top-10 picks. It might come down to whether any of them can impress Poles during the interview process.
A returning Matt Eberflus would complicate matters. The last two times the Bears retained a head coach for another season while drafting a quarterback, they were fired the following year. It happened to John Fox in 2018 and Matt Nagy in 2022. This feels like a vicious cycle the Bears can’t seem to escape, which is why many feel if Eberflus stays, it means Fields will be retained as well. That means trading the #1 pick for another haul and continuing to build up the roster.