The decision to fire Eberflus marks the first time in franchise history that the Bears have parted ways with a head coach in the middle of the season. Following the announcement of his departure, it was also announced that Thomas Brown has been named interim head coach,

Matt Eberflus sent a statement of gratitude to the Chicago Bears organization as well as the team's fanbase after he was fired as head coach on Friday.

However the Bears players, especially Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, weren't buying it, according to Russini and Jahns's report. Johnson reportedly was "going off" on Eberflus, and was joined by other Bears players who wanted to know why the coach hadn't used the team's final timeout.