Speculating about someone losing their livelihood has always struck me as a little crass. But the conversation gets easier when you realize that big-time head coaches command seven-figure salaries and are often let go in the middle of contracts that continue to pay them long after the losing is done.
RandBall: Are the Vikings going to help get another coach fired Sunday?
Robert Saleh came back from a London loss to the Vikings and was fired. Bears coach Matt Eberflus is on an even hotter seat entering Sunday’s game in Chicago.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 20, 2024 at 6:58PM
Such is the case with Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, who reportedly is making $4.5 million a year and is under contract through 2026.
It would take somewhat of a miracle for Eberflus to make it that far. The Bears’ 4-2 start has fallen apart behind a four-game losing streak. They will carry a 4-6 record into Sunday’s home game against the Vikings, with some oddsmakers saying Eberflus is the most likely NFL head coach to be fired next (yes, shockingly even more likely than Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson).
The Vikings have already hastened one coach’s demise this year, supplying the 23-17 victory in London that dropped the Jets to 2-3 and cost Robert Saleh his job. They did Pederson a favor by only winning 12-7 a couple of weeks ago in Jacksonville (before Detroit walloped the Jags last week), but they could perhaps force the Bears’ hand with a convincing win Sunday in the Windy City — as I talked about on Wednesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Now: The Bears famously have never fired a head coach in the middle of a season. Yes, even John Fox got three full double-digit loss seasons before being let go. So as much as Bears fans might be clamoring for Eberflus to go, it might be deep winter by the time it actually happens.
Still, there are few teams that need a hard reset as much as the Bears. They have loads of talent on offense, led by No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at QB, but they have struggled to move the ball and to get out of their own way. Their defense has been above average; their offense has averaged 12.5 points in their six losses.
Eberflus arrived at this job with a defensive background, but a head coach is ultimately responsible for everything. Eberflus already fired hand-picked offensive coordinator Shane Waldron a couple of weeks ago after firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after two poor seasons. Things looked better last week as the Bears put up 391 yards against the Packers, but a blocked field goal at the finish doomed them to a 20-19 loss.
You might think that was the most heartbreaking loss during this streak, but you would be forgetting how they lost on a last-second Hail Mary against Washington while cornerback Tyrique Stevenson spent the first part of the play taunting fans.
It’s a lot for one fan base and one team to endure. If the Vikings pile on this Sunday, they just might help get another coach fired.
Detroit receiver Jameson Williams is giving future opponents – including a certain team from the Twin Cities – cause for concern as the race for the division title and No. 1 seed comes down to the wire.
