On Friday, the Chicago Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus after one of the worst end-of-game sequences in recent memory. Eberflus’ seat was red hot after his late-game meltdown during the Bears’ Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions. Let’s take a look at Eberflus’ contract and salary to understand how much he’s owed going forward.
Matt Eberflus’ Contract and Salary
The Bears hired Eberflus on Jan. 27, 2022, giving him a five-year contract. He became the 17th head coach in franchise history, and he inked a deal through the 2026 season.
Unlike player salaries, coaching salaries aren’t made public and there are conflicting reports about how much Eberflus earned as the Bears’ head coach.
Some outlets estimate that he was making roughly $4.5 million per season, while others list him as one of the lowest-paid coaches in the league, making less than $3.5 million annually.
His salary is likely somewhere in that range, and the Bears will be on the hook for that money through the 2026 season since coaching contracts are fully guaranteed.
Eberflus’ Coaching Career
Eberflus started his coaching career in 1992 as a student assistant coach at Toledo and became a graduate assistant a year later. He stayed in Toledo until 2000, working his way up to recruiting coordinator, outside linebackers coach, and then defensive backs coach.
After Toledo, Eberflus made one last stop in the college ranks with Missouri, serving as the team’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach from 2001-2008.
His first stop in the NFL came from 2009-10 with the Cleveland Browns when Eberflus was hired as linebackers coach.
Then, in 2011, he took that same role with the Dallas Cowboys and stuck as their linebackers coach until 2017, when the Indianapolis Colts hired him as their defensive coordinator.
Eberflus was the Colts’ DC from 2018-2021, and he quickly became regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the game.
The Bears hired him as head coach in 2022 to right the ship, but he finished his stint in Chicago with a 14-32 record (.304) and zero playoff trips.