Matt Eberflus Credit: Ari Meirov on X

Rookie stars Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze have given the Chicago Bears an entirely different look this season, but someone else in the organization is also flashing a new image.

Head coach Matt Eberflus.

The Bears’ third-year head coach is turning heads in camp with a new hairstyle, beard and a more media-savvy approach. The latter part is especially notable, given Eberflus earned criticism last season for some of his media interactions. That was particularly notable in Week 9, when he stumbled through answers regarding injured QB Justin Fields.

But while Bears fans have been raving about Eberflus’ new beard, sports media and NFL execs have noticed that he seems more comfortable dealing with the media. And that’s an underrated part of any coach’s job description.

The new beard somehow helps that media image.

“The first thing I said [on the air] was, I know this is weird. He looks smarter!” 670 The Score radio host Dan Bernstein told ESPN.


ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler talked to a number of NFL insiders on this. They all agreed Eberflus has dramatically improved his communication skills, and the change began showing late last year.

“He was always very uptight and nervous when he had to talk,” one scouting director told ESPN. “And now he is more chill and relaxed and he’s not fumbling over his words or contradicting himself.”

“There are a lot of guys that are really good football coaches that don’t understand the big picture,” a former head coach told ESPN. “Calling the best plays on O or D, well, no, that’s not it. They have to be able to sell tickets, sell fans, and a lot of that is through the media.”

There’s a question as to whether Eberflus underwent outside media training. He has said he did not; a source told ESPN he went outside the organization for advice last year, immediately following the issue in that press conference involving Fields.

Bears’ team president Kevin Warren also fired the team executive who had been responsible for prepping Eberflus for the media.

Head coaches face a challenge in dealing with the media, especially in a big market.

“The Chicago market is just like New York,” one AFC scouting director told ESPN. “You can’t say, ‘I’m not talking about that, because you’re going to get crushed.’ He was trying to massage it, but at the same time, you need to be savvy enough to beat around the bush and give them something without giving them anything.”

So sometimes, less is more. Which might be one reason the Bears did not make Eberflus available for an interview for the feature.

[ESPN]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.