The Sun-Times’ Bears experts — Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser and Mark Potash — break down their end-of-season decisions and what lies ahead:
The Bears’ postseason decisions this week were. ...
Finley: Half-measures. Bears president Kevin Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and chairman George McCaskey believe that’s all it will take to win the Bears’ first playoff game since January 2011. Fans scarred by years of missteps are right to be dubious — the Bears don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Lieser: Minor. If firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was their only move, they’ll essentially be running it back with a team that went 7-10 and didn’t measure up well against good opponents. This rebuild isn’t happening in a bubble; the Bears are competing against every other team trying to do the same thing. It’s imperative that they be ambitious. The biggest offseason change, though, will be if they make one at quarterback.
Potash: As expected. With legitimate signs of progress to point to (5-3 in the second half, defensive takeaways), Poles wasn’t going to fire his hand-picked (so he says) coach after two seasons. And Warren, just eighth months into the job, wasn’t going to undercut the authority of his GM by forcing bigger changes. The firing of Getsy was the easy move.
Would you have kept coach Matt Eberflus for 2024?
Finley: If he presented a compelling plan for fixing the offense, yes. The Bears’ defensive growth this season is the best achievement the franchise can claim since 2018. If Eberflus fails to produce a dynamic offensive coordinator, though, he’ll confirm our worst fears.
Lieser: No. The Bears weren’t crazy to keep Eberflus, but they could’ve upgraded. And the objection to his hiring in the first place was that they needed an offensive-minded head coach so that they aren’t perpetually having to change offenses. In the last five seasons, 17 of the 20 teams that reached the conference championship round had an offensive-minded coach.
Potash: In general, NFL head coaches should get more rope not less, and the Bears can make the playoffs next season with Eberflus. But the opportunity the Bears have with the No. 1 draft pick and a chance for a clean slate with a new head coach, new offensive coordinator and new quarterback is great enough to rationalize a change.
What is Eberflus’ biggest challenge going forward?
Finley: Keep the defense playing at the top-five level it displayed in the second half of this year. That’s a playoff team if paired with just a league-average passing attack.
Lieser: Fixing the offense, which is not in his field of expertise. But a defensive-minded head coach can get fired for the offense failing.
Potash: Finding an offensive coordinator who can have immediate success. If the offense is on training wheels next season — with Justin Fields learning another new system of a rookie quarterback getting acclimated to the NFL — it’s unlikely Eberflus will be back in 2025. The time for “it’s a 17-game process” or “It’s only the first year of this offense” is over.
Who will be the Bears’ quarterback next year?
Finley: Fields. I don’t believe he’s better, long-term, than USC’s Caleb Williams — who has until Monday to declare for the draft — or even North Carolina’s Drake Maye. But Fields was good enough this season for the Bears to entertain a boffo trade offer. As for Williams: he wouldn’t be the first to announce his draft intentions at the buzzer. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Fields himself waited until the final day.
Lieser: Williams. The list of quarterbacks that Fields will never catch grew again this season with the emergence of Stroud and a strong season by Jordan Love, and the Bears can’t settle for mid-level quarterback. If they want to contend with great teams, they need a great quarterback.
Potash: Williams. Poles’ tepid endorsement of Fields (especially compared to his emphatic endorsement of Eberflus at mid-season) indicates he’ll give himself every chance to find a better option. And though Williams is complicated — who knows if he even wants to play for the Bears? — players are so well-coached in the draft process, Williams will probably be convincing on the character/make-up issues.
What, if anything, would tempt you to trade the No. 1 overall pick?
Finley: A ton: Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. —available with Pick 2 or 3 — plus first-round picks in 2025 and 2026, a second rounder this year and next, and at least one veteran who would become of the Bears’ best 10 core players.
Lieser: Teams will offer record-breaking trade packages because this will be the most valuable No. 1 pick in a long time. The reason they want it is the reason Poles can’t trade it: Williams leads a high-quality quarterback class. And if the Bears trade back with the wrong team, the future first-rounders they get back won’t be as valuable. Consider that if they’d traded back to the Texans or Colts last year — both logical options at the time — the extra first-rounder they have this year would’ve been 15th or lower instead of No. 1.
Potash: A deal that gets the Bears a future first-round pick and allows them to still get Harrison — if he’s as good as advertised — would be tough to pass up.
The Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2024 should be …
Finley: Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who is off the Sean McVay coaching tree. He doesn’t call plays — head coach Zac Taylor does — but the 39-year-old developed both star Joe Burrow and undrafted free agent Jake Browning.
Lieser: Eric Bieniemy. Keep in mind there are many limitations to their candidate field. This is the most proven coach they can get. Unless Poles knows something troubling from their time together in Kansas City, Bieniemy is the top choice.
Potash: Someone from the first branch of the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. The starting quarterbacks under McVay, Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel, Bobby Slowik, Taylor and Kevin O’Connell had a 102.3 passer rating this season (160 touchdowns, 59 interceptions), averaging 263.9 yards per game and 7.9 yards per attempt. Any questions?
Ryan Poles’ biggest priority, beside the quarterback, should be …
Finley: Adding a standout receiver, either in the draft or free agency, to play opposite DJ Moore. The Bears’ No. 2 wide receiver this year, Darnell Mooney, had 414 receiving yards, which was tied for 108th in the NFL.
Lieser: A pass rusher in the draft, wide receiver in free agency. One quick solution: draft UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu at No. 9 and sign 10-time 1,000-yard Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans.
Potash: Solidifying the offensive line. Retaining offensive line coach Chris Morgan was a first step toward doing that. Upgrading at center and providing competition for left tackle Braxton Jones are likely next steps.
