Watch: GM Ryan Poles responds to question about Jim Harbaugh in wake of Bears' HC news
The Chicago Bears made an unexpected announcement on Wednesday, firing most of their coaching staff except for head coach Matt Eberflus.
At Wednesday's news conference, a reporter asked general manager if he'd talked with Michigan head coach and 2024 college football champion Jim Harbaugh about the position.
"No, I haven't talked to Jim," Poles said.
"He's the coach of Michigan," he responded when asked why he hadn't talked to Harbaugh. "We're going with Matt."
The Bears announced they were moving on from most of their coaching staff on Wednesday, but that Eberflus, who is 10-24 since taking over as the head coach in Chicago, will remain in his position ahead of a massive offseason in the Windy City.
The Bears own the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and have a huge decision to make regarding quarterback Justin Fields. Fields' time in Chicago has seen him alternate between making incredibly impressive plays and poor ones.
The way Fields and the Bears finished 2023, what seemed like a straightforward decision to take a quarterback (likely USC's Caleb Williams) in this draft has become muddled. After starting the season 2-7, Chicago showed signs of promise to close out the year and finish 7-10.
While it makes the third consecutive season Chicago has missed the playoffs, the relationship between Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore seemed to flourish.
Since Fields returned from injury in Week 11, Fields threw for 1,361 yards and five touchdowns with 571 of those yards and three of those scores going to Moore.
By hanging onto Eberflus, the Bears could be planning to give Fields another chance rather than drafting one of the highly touted quarterback prospects. If they were planning on moving on from Fields, now would be a natural opportunity to pair their new QB with a coach who isn't connected to the shortcomings of the previous regime.
Keeping Eberflus is a message that the Bears believe they have the leaders they need in-house to return to the postseason. They could use the first overall pick to either draft someone like Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. or move the pick for a haul to continue building a roster that will get the best out of Fields.
Either way, Poles and Eberflus are officially on the clock, and the future of football in the Windy City rides on the decision they make.
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