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Former Bears coach Matt Eberflus in the mix to become Bengals next defensive coordinator

Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is interviewing to become the Bengals defensive coordinator because, hey, it can't get any worse for Cincinnati.
Bryan Perez|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Believe it or not, but former Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus might not be unemployed for long.

ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler posted on X Friday night that Eberflus is in the running to become the Cincinnati Bengals' next defensive coordinator. It's a role that would be the perfect next job for 'Flus.

The match between Eberflus and the Bengals is good because, let's face it, it can't get much worse on defense for Cincinnati. They finished at or near the bottom 10 of every major defensive category, so for a coach like Eberflus, who needs to rehabilitate his coaching reputation after a horrendous three years in Chicago, a job like the Bengals D should only send his coaching stock up.

The bad news for the Bengals, however, is that the Eberflus-led Bears defense was equally bad in 2024. Granted, some of Chicago's worst defensive performances came after Flus was fired, but he had been losing control of his group for several weeks before his termination.

Eberflus was hired by the Bears in 2022 because of a strong defensive resume and his reputation as a strong teacher of scheme and concepts. And while the Bears looked like a potential top-10 defense at times under his watch, Eberflus was never able to get Chicago to consistently produce at that level.

If Matt Eberflus ends up with the Bengals, he'll have the benefit of coaching a defense supported by one of the most potent offenses in the league. Cincinnati averaged nearly 29 points per game, good for the sixth-most in the NFL. Even if Eberflus is just barely competent, it'll mean the difference between Cincinnati being in the playoffs or, like this year, having an early offseason.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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