There will be much to discuss about the Matt Eberflus firing in the coming days. We’ll presumptively have a formal press conference with general manager Ryan Poles and possibly president Kevin Warren to understand their decision making and why the Bears chose to break precedent and fire Matt Eberflus during the season.

We’ll hear from interim head coach Thomas Brown and how he plans to lead the team in a different way, and how he’ll keep the offense running strong and continue Caleb Williams’ development while managing games effectively.

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That’s all coming up soon.  

We can extend our view beyond that, look big picture and discuss what comes next.

Let’s consider the Bears coaching search formally on. It’ll begin with Brown’s extended audition. Poles and Warren and chairman George McCaskey will evaluate how he commands a locker room, conducts his preparation and manages games.

The Bears will obviously look outside the organization, with a bit of a head start on most formulating a list of possible candidates. The Bears can also position themselves as an attractive team for the best coaches starting with the initial press conference on forward.

Having Caleb Williams is the greatest draw, considering his talent, personality and possession of the clutch gene. Poles has set up the roster well from a financial standpoint and has given big contracts to those who produce.

All that will help, assuming the Bears are willing to pay for top talent. The Bears can get ahead on the mechanisms of making the most important coaching hire in recent memory, with a chance to buck trends and establish stability and success from the head coach and quarterback positions.

Now let’s talk about the 2024 squad, which still wants to win games and play its best down the stretch. They’ll have to respond well to Brown’s direct, no-nonsense leadership style. We don’t know how he’ll be as a game manager, but that will be key to the team’s immediate success.

And, how will things be from an operation standpoint with Brown presumptively on the sideline instead of the booth? Will defensive coordinator Eric Washington call defensive plays in Eberflus’ stead? His effectiveness in that role will also be important moving forward, because the Bears can’t afford a dropoff on that side of the ball.

There’s also the distraction element of things, though this group should be used to sideshows after the Hail Mary in Washington, the Shane Waldron firing, three straight brutal NFC North losses, each with their own gut punch. And now the biggest of them all, losing a head coach during the season.

While Eberflus seems to have lost some trust during the losing streak, it’s still a major transition players will talk about following a long weekend off and into the 49ers game.

That’s a lot to deal with, but the goal down the stretch is to develop talent that can be used in the future. From a macro perspective, Poles has to nail this hire, which he didn’t do last time. So much of his efforts must pour into finding the right person for a big job turning the franchise around while helping Williams become the top-tier franchise quarterback Chicago needs.