Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears' and Dallas Cowboys' matchup not only features two of the biggest, most passionate, and perennially most disappointed fanbases in the NFL, but it also has the added intrigue of ex-head coach Matt Eberflus making his "long-awaited" return to Chicago.

Eberflus, of course, was fired by the Bears late last season after Chicago fell to 4-8 following a heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. He now comes back to a place he called home for three seasons as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.

There's no need to beat around the bush here. The Bears fired Eberflus because he was a bad coach.

Oh, you likely want more.

OK, well, the Bears fired Eberflus because he had a 14-48 record in three incomplete seasons. For a franchise that has existed for over 100 years, he has the fifth-worst winning percentage of any coach to have ever roamed the Chicago sideline (and that includes Ben Johnson, who has only coached two games). The Bears also fired Eberflus because he lost control of his locker room, he let a loser culture persist and infect his players, and as a defensive mind, his stated unit of expertise was never even elite. This, on top of some truly awful game management that cost the Bears at least three potential wins in 2024 alone.

As the Cowboys struggle to gain traction on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, I'm not remotely surprised that Eberflus is their defensive coordinator. Good luck, Dallas fans.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why did the Bears fire Matt Eberflus?

Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, For The Win / For The Win

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