Bears hire Colts DC Matt Eberflus as next head coach

Former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett -- who was hired by the Broncos on Thursday -- had been another candidate for the Bears' gig earlier in the process, as had Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, among others. Schefter reported that Chicago had also been considering former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

The 51-year-old Eberflus had also been a finalist for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head-coaching job. Eberflus has served as the Colts defensive coordinator over the last four seasons under Frank Reich.

Prior to joining Indianapolis, the Toledo, Ohio, native had spent 17 years in the college game and nine seasons in the NFL with two other franchises. Eberflus held roles as a student assistant, graduate assistant, outside linebackers coach and defensive backs coach with Toledo from 1992 to 2000, and then was the defensive coordinator for Missouri from 2001 to 2008.

Eberflus joined the NFL as a linebackers coach, first during the 2009 and 2010 campaigns with the Cleveland Browns, and then from 2011 to 2017 with the Cowboys. The Eberflus hire comes just two days after the Bears chose former Kansas City Chiefs executive Ryan Poles as their new general manager.