Bears Coach Eberflus Returns, OC Getsy, Offensive Assistants Fired

CHICAGO — At one time this season, it seemed almost impossible to imagine the Chicago Bears without a new head coach and the franchise again seemingly headed for yet another disappointing campaign.

While Bears officials on Wednesday expressed disappointment in the team's 7-10 finish, general manager Ryan Poles along with President and CEO Kevin Warren and team ownership decided that second-year Matt Eberflus had done enough to salvage their jobs.

Others, however, weren't so fortunate.

The Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as well as the majority of the team's offensive staff as the Bears cleared the deck for what could be an eventful off-season. While Eberflus was deemed safe, the jury remains out on whether the Bears will stick with quarterback Justin Fields while holding onto the No. 1 overall pick in this spring's NFL Draft.

The Bears also have the No. 9 overall pick, which allows for the possibility that Poles could make another move to bring the team back into contention for a division title and beyond. But at least for now, the front office decided that Eberflus had weathered the 2023 season storm enough to return for a third year rather than moving in a new direction.

"I really think that the head coach needs to be able to captain the ship and when the seas have storms and really keep everything settled," Poles told reporters on Wednesday. "When you go through hard times and you can keep everyone together, that's the critical piece in a big market like this. You have to be strong. I mean, if he's jumping off the boat and everyone else starts jumping off the boat, it's a hot mess.

"The stability is a big piece for us. That detail that he coached with taking some of the mistakes from the game, bringing them into practice, and making sure that we're doing things the right way. I saw a lot of progress in that. There's a reason we went from three to seven wins ...if it's not for (Eberflus), I don't think that's the case."

The NFL Network reported on Wednesday that Getsy, who was on the job running the Bears offense for two seasons, was dismissed along with quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko on Tuesday after the Bears' offense struggled to be productive with Getsy calling the plays for Fields.

The Bears announced on Wednesday afternoon that Ebertflus had announced that Getsy, Janocko along with wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, running backs coach Omar Young, and assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts had all been fired. Team officials are scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Getsy's firing leaves the Bears with openings at both offensive and defensive coordinator after defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned early in the season amid allegations of a complaint filed with the team's human resources department.

The moves came two days after the Bears struggled again offensively in a 17-9 season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers to finish the season 7-10. The Bears, who started the season with four-straight losses, showed enough improvement to keep second-year head coach Matt Eberflus, who was reportedly on the hot seat after the slow start.

The Bears have yet to decide on the fate of Fields, who showed flashes of greatness at times this season. However, many have speculated that the former first-round draft pick’s lack of consistency may be enough for the Bears to choose to use the overall No. 1 pick in this spring’s NFL Draft on another quarterback, namely USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Following Sunday's loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field, Fields thanked Bears fans for their support if indeed the Bears planned to move on from the former Ohio State quarterback and move in a new direction at the position.

This season, the Bears ranked 17th in the NFL and averaged 21.4 points a game a year after ranking 23rd in points scored with a 19.4 points per game average.

On Wednesday, both Poles and Eberflus said that they saw plenty of improvement in Fields this season. However, while Poles said that he sees the potential for the young quarterback to keep moving the Bears in the right direction, he said he will take all of the necessary steps in determining which direction to go.

"I did think Justin got better," Poles said. "I think he can lead this team. But at the same time, there's a unique situation where I have to look and our staff has to look at everything and that's exactly what we're going to do."