The Bears have found their next head coach.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the team will hire Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He was joined as a finalist in the search process by former Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The news comes a couple of days after the Bears hired Ryan Poles as their new General Manager.
Eberflus also had a pair of interviews with the Jaguars, who appear set to make Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich their next head coach.
The Chicago job will be Eberflus’ first head coaching position. He was hired as the Colts’ defensive coordinator in 2018 when it appeared Josh McDaniels would be their head coach and remained on the staff under Frank Reich when McDaniels reneged on an agreement. The Colts made the playoffs twice with Eberflus running the defense and finished in the top 10 in points allowed in three of his four seasons.
Defense has generally been the stronger side of the ball in Chicago in recent years, so Eberflus’ offensive coordinator choice is sure to draw a lot of interest as that coach will be charged with helping to develop 2021 first-round quarterback Justin Fields in hopes of building the kind of offense that can push the team beyond the performance they attained under Eberflus’ predecessor Matt Nagy.