Bears coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t answer whether he believes he’s ‘safe’ for 2024

Eberflus instead pivoted to an answer about putting his “best foot forward” as he tries to make his case over the final five games.

SHARE Bears coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t answer whether he believes he’s ‘safe’ for 2024
A photo of Matt Eberflus coaching in a game.

Eberflus is 7-22 as Bears head coach with five games left this season.

AP Photos

Bears coach Matt Eberflus, who is 7-22 in his tenure with the team, was asked Monday if he believes he’ll be retained, but didn’t answer.

Eberflus was asked if, based on his relationship with general manager Ryan Poles, he believes he is “safe” for next season and responded by saying, “What you can focus on is leadership. The first rule of leadership is leading yourself... That’s really what you focus on: put your best foot forward every day.”

The Bears are coming off a 12-10 win over the Vikings, then a bye week. They finish with games against the Lions, Browns (road), Cardinals, Falcons and Packers (road).

While the defense has improved with Eberflus calling the plays, he’s responsible for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s struggles and has yet to win two games in a row.

Poles hasn’t addressed Eberflus’ standing since Nov. 1. He said he understood the grounds for the question, but praised Eberflus’ work behind the scenes.

“I see his approach through adversity, [and] it is stable, man,” Poles said. “And I know in the outside world it doesn’t look like that. And I know it looks like we’re far away. But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away.

“It’s been hard. It’s been really hard, especially from where we started last year, trying to build this and do it the right way. What I see from him on a daily basis and how he gets this team ready on a weekly basis, to me, I see a grown man that has leadership skills to get this thing out of the hole and into where it needs to be.”

The Latest
At least 28 people were wounded, including one person who died, in shootings in Chicago from about 9 p.m. Saturday through Sunday afternoon, according to police.
On May 21, 1924, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped Bobby Franks and bludgeoned him to death. The “thrill killing,” one of many to be dubbed “the crime of the century,” remains a puzzle.
“Guys have stepped up, but we’re not playing our best baseball,” reliever Hayden Wesneski said.
Schauffele closed with a 6-under 65 to beat Bryson DeChambeau, entertaining to the very end with a 10-foot birdie on the 18th hole for a 64.
Imanaga makes success look so simple, it’s easy to forget to ask him how he’s handling life alone in a huge new city halfway around the world from home.