The most bizarre moment I’ve seen in a decade covering Halas Hall — and that’s saying something — was neither a pass nor a catch, a press conference answer or a locker room beef. It was a plain white piece of paper, distributed to reporters just after 3 p.m. on Sept. 20.
By that time, defensive coordinator Alan Williams leaving the team was no shock. The Bears said a week earlier that he was away for personal reasons, then that he wouldn’t travel with the team for a Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. Coach Matt Eberflus wouldn’t explain what was going on, and neither he nor assistant coaches would offer anything beyond the blandest statement of support.
Things came to a head Sept. 20. The Sun-Times’ Bears reporters huddled in a hallway and paced the parking lot on the phone. Other Sun-Times writers visited Williams’ house. On a television in the corner of the Halas Hall media room, a controversial ESPN talk show host repeated scandalous, unfounded internet rumors about Williams’ departure. Finally, a little after 3 p.m., came the final word: Williams was gone.
The Bears were so eager to distance themselves from Williams that they handed out a statement from him that wasn’t on team letterhead. Williams said he was resigning to take “a step back to care for my health and my family.” The Sun-Times later confirmed that he left after issues with workplace conduct.
It wouldn’t be the last time Eberflus dealt with such issues. The following month, running backs coach David Walker was fired for an unrelated human resources issue for which he’d been previously warned, a source said. That spoiled what should have been a joyous day at Halas Hall: the team traded for standout Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat a day earlier. Within days they’d give him the richest per-year contract in franchise history.
For a team that already had trouble winning on the field, the Bears were a mess off it.
Questions about Eberflus’ future beyond this season became intertwined with the departure of two assistants. One coach leaving during the season happens in the NFL, though rarely. The Bears had two in a six-week span.
Eberflus’ attempts to explain them away were clunky and unsatisfying; he claimed the Bears’ culture was both “awesome” and “outstanding.”
At the start of the season, the Bears were neither.
This was supposed to be a step forward. In 2022, the Bears spent the most money in the NFL in dead salary cap space — money given to players they’d cut or traded. They finished with the worst record in football, and then traded the first overall pick to the Panthers for star receiver D.J. Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
A year after tearing his team down, general manager Ryan Poles tried to build it back up. He gave linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edmunds a combined $91.5 million. Guard Nate Davis got $30 million. On the eve of the season, Poles estimated that he filled 80% of the Bears’ needs — a high number for any offseason.
The trade reinforced Poles’ belief that Justin Fields would take a significant step in his third season. Draft picks and free agents were supposed to give Fields much-needed help. At the start of the season, some national outlets were touting the quarterback as an MVP candidate.
By Week 3, though, the Bears were winless, Fields was struggling mightily, and Halas Hall was the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. By Week 6, Fields was grimacing in pain, a dislocated right thumb knocking him out for the middle part of the season.
Halas Hall stabilized as the season went on. Eberflus got his first winning streak. The defense, buoyed by Sweat’s pass rush and Eberflus’ play-calling, climbed toward the top tier in the sport. Fields, with a thumb brace, became as consistent a passer as he’s been in his career. It’s still no sure thing that he returns next year — the Bears could draft a quarterback in his place.
I’ve yet to see a playoff win in my 10 years covering the team, but I’ve seen plenty of bizarre behavior at Halas Hall. In my first season, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer ripped quarterback Jay Cutler to an NFL Network reporter and was forced to issue a tearful apology to the team. The next year, defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff told staffers “I am the devil” one day before he was cut. Just last year, linebacker Roquan Smith accused the Bears of failing to negotiate in good faith.
I’ve seen Lance Briggs skip practice to open a barbecue restaurant and John Fox tell a story about his childhood pet monkey named Gidget. I’ve seen Brandon Marshall offer to fight a fan, and I’ve smelled sushi left out in the open inside Halas Hall for a full weekend.
But I’ve never seen two assistants leave the way they did this season.
