6 Matt Eberflus replacements the Bears need before Caleb Williams is ruined

It may have already been time, but Matt Eberflus has to go. The Chicago Bears dropped their third straight game on Sunday with a shocking 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots, dropping Ebeflus' team to 4-5 on the season and leaving them with now two straight games wherein Caleb Williams and the offense have failed to score a touchdown. And by the looks of it, the locker room is already checked out on the head coach.

Fans are furious with Eberflus, players seem to be somewhere close to that, and the Bears have the No. 1 overall pick from this year's draft that they are getting dangerously close to start ruining at this point. It's time for a change that, frankly, probably should've been made before this season.

Later is better than never, though, as they say. So if the Bears wisen up and send their head coach packing, every one of these Matt Eberflus replacements would be an upgrade with higher upside in the Windy City as the future of the roster is now set.

6. Lincoln Riley (USC Trojans head coach)

Things aren't going so hot for Lincoln Riley with the USC Trojans right now, to say the least. However, the former Oklahoma head coach who made the much publicized move to Los Angeles has long been in conversations as a likely candidate to make the jump from the college ranks to the NFL. And the Bears would have to make some sense right now in that equation.

Riley, of course, has a familiar relationship with Caleb Williams after coaching the quarterback for three years in college, one at OU and then two at USC, which included a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 2022. His offensive system is tailormade to working with a dynamic signal-caller like Williams and could give the Bears a shot in the arm.

To be sure, what Riley did around him in terms of his defensive staff and the experience of his staff would be crucial, especially for a younger head coach with no NFL experience. At the same time, though, his experience and success with Williams is an enticing option for Chicago that would have to be considered — especially if USC is ready to turn the page in their own right.

5. Bobby Slowik (Houston Texans offensive coordinator)

Despite his relative lack of experience, Bobby Slowik was a hot name among head coaching searches around the NFL last year but, ultimately, came up empty and returned to the Houston Texans. Having said that, the offensive coordinator for DeMeco Ryans worked for six years under Kyle Shanahan before following Ryans to Houston and he's one of the most enticing options to be a head coach from that tree.

Slowik helped orchestrate a runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign with C.J. Stroud and, despite a litany of wide receiver injuries that the Texans have dealt with this season, has Houston looking like a Top 15 offense in the league at worst in the 2024 season.

Getting the Shanahan influence into the building for the Bears could work wonders. While the Chicago offensive line will be a point of emphasis this offseason, the combination of Williams, the receiving corps, and a strong stable of running backs mean most of the pieces are in place. Like Riley, the hires around the still-green Slowik would be important to determining his success but the upside is tremendous.

4. Brian Flores (Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator)

Make no mistake, there's a good chance that the Bears would be looking to correct from hiring Eberflus, who was formerly the defensive coordinator for the Colts, and make an offensive hire if they replace Eberflus. At the same time, though, it would be foolish to look at what the Minnesota Vikings defense has done this season under Brian Flores and not give him a long, hard look as a consideration.

Flores, of course, had his share of issues that were present during and after his tenure as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, not the least of which were reports this year about his strained relationship with Tua Tagovailoa. At the same time, though, his stylings on defense have been ridiculously good, routinely shutting down some of the best offenses in the NFL this season.

Moreover, with Flores' well-traveled career in the league, he has connections, whether in Minnesota or otherwise, to fill out a great staff. While this list of potential next head coaches for the Bears is largely centered on offensive-minded coaches, Flores might be the best of the bunch that doesn't fit that mold.

3. Mike Vrabel (former Tennessee Titans head coach)

It's honestly still baffling to me that the Tennessee Titans fired Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season. What did they expect him to do considering the devolving roster that he was saddled with, particularly with Ryan Tannehill declining dramatically and Will Levis being an erratic disaster? But the poor decision by the Titans could ultimately be the Bears' gain when looking at Vrabel.

Over six seasons in Nashville, Vrabel posted a 54-45 record with four straight winning seasons to begin his career, including a 2019 campaign wherein he led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game. He also reached double-digit wins in the 2020 and 2021 seasons thereafter and got Tennessee into the postseason.

Vrabel is an elite culture-builder and the most successful branch, to this point, from the Bill Belichick coaching tree. And while his mentor may still be looking for work in the offseason, Vrabel at 49 years old seems like a man dying for a second chance and one who's also well deserving of one. He could change the Bears locker room in a heartbeat and make good on all of the talent on this roster.

2. Todd Monken (Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator)

It's high past time that Todd Monken got the opportunity to be an NFL head coach and the Bears should absolutely be interested in being the franchise that gives the 58-year-old that opportunity. Fresh off helping Lamar Jackson to make a leap to his second NFL MVP award last year, he has the Ravens quarterback in line to go back-to-back with the honor and Baltimore looking like a contender once again.

Everywhere you look, Monken has enjoyed an immense amount of success on the offensive side of the ball despite varying circumstances. Whether it was with the Buccaneers in the mid-2010s, with the Browns in 2019, or with the Georgia Bulldogs for three years before being hired by the Ravens, he's used different quarterbacks, different levels of talent, and his own different variations to find success.

The lack of head coaching experience is never a deterrent to me when considering potential head coaching hires and it shouldn't be one with Monken in Chicago. He's been a stud at every turn and just might finally be getting his due. Imagining what he could do with the talent the Bears have in the building is enough to make any fan start salivating.

1. Ben Johnson (Detroit Lions offensive coordinator)

The candidate to replace Matt Ebeflus who already has the most steam behind him is rival offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Reports have indicated already this season that, if the Bears had parted ways with Eberflus prior to the 2024 season, that Johnson could've been interested in coming to Chicago. But why not circle back this time around?

Apparently, that's something that Johnson, who is reportedly interested in being selective to go to the right situation for him, is already connected to. And when you look at the work that Johnson has done to rebuild Jared Goff as a top-level NFL quarterback and make use of all of the weapons in Detroit, it's hard not to see him as someone who could be a perfect fit with Williams and what Chicago has to offer.

Johnson has bided his time calculatedly as he's been a hot name in head coaching searches for year. It does appear that the Bears, particularly now that Williams has arrived, pique his interest. If that's indeed the case, Chicago would be foolish to not have him No. 1 on their proverbial hot board. And hey, taking him away from an NFC North rival doesn't hurt the cause either.