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Caleb Williams Admits Harsh Reality of Bears Firing Matt Eberflus

Chicago fired Eberflus just 12 games into Williams' rookie season.
Former Bear head coach Matt Eberflus stands behind Caleb Williams.
Former Bear head coach Matt Eberflus stands behind Caleb Williams. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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In speaking with the media for the first time since his team fired head coach Matt Eberflus last Friday, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams gave quite a thorough—and real—explanation about the unfortunate reality that is being an NFL head coach.

"It's interesting," he said when asked about his thoughts on Chicago firing Eberflus after their 4-8 start to the season. "I didn't—I don't get any say or choice over that. I have to, you know, roll with the punches. It's interesting, it's tough... He's the reason why I'm here. He drafted me. So going through that and that process is interesting for me."

"That's a man that has a family," Williams continued. "A man that ended up getting fired. There's a human part of it, a human part to it—and there's a business part to it that you have to understand and, like I said, roll with the punches from there."

Like I said, a harsh reality.

The Bears will now move forward with Thomas Brown at the helm in the interim before beginning a search for a reported "leader of men" type of head coach for 2025.

Chicago is headed to San Francisco this Sunday for a 4:25 p.m. EST matchup versus the 49ers. They'll look to break a six-game losing streak.


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Published | Modified
 Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.