Bears hire Colts' Eberflus as new coach

The Chicago Bears hired Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as their next head coach, the team announced Thursday.

Eberflus is the second coaching hire of this cycle after the Denver Broncos reportedly landed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Colts assistant beat out fellow finalists Jim Caldwell and Dan Quinn to succeed Matt Nagy as Bears coach.

The news comes days after the Bears hired Ryan Poles as their new general manager.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard originally hired Eberflus to work under Josh McDaniels in 2018, but after McDaniels pulled out of the job, Eberflus served as DC for Frank Reich.

The 51-year-old developed Indianapolis' defense into a consistent group across four seasons, earning three top-10 scoring finishes. The Colts were also one of the best teams at forcing turnovers in 2021, ranking second in the NFL with 33.

Chicago's defense was strong in the early seasons of the Nagy era, but it fell off this past campaign, finishing 22nd in points allowed.

While Eberflus' area of expertise is on defense, his most important task will be developing 2021 first-round quarterback Justin Fields, who struggled during his rookie season.