Bears Fire OC Luke Getsy, More Offensive Coaches amid Matt Eberflus Buzz

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, among others, on Wednesday as part of a shakeup on coach Matt Eberflus' staff.

Getsy and Janocko have spent the last two seasons working under Eberflus but struggled to develop Justin Fields into a consistently reliable passer.

The Bears will be replacing coordinators on the offensive and defensive side of the ball in 2024. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams abruptly resigned ahead of Week 3 for what was described as "inappropriate activity," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Despite speculation about his job status, the Bears are expected to retain Eberflus, per Schefter.

Jettisoning his offensive assistants likely amounted to a last-ditch effort from Eberflus to remain as head coach. He'll enter the 2024 offseason firmly on the hot seat, and it's fair to wonder if the Bears are making a prudent decision by keeping him.

Chicago has the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft and will have to decide in the coming months on whether to use that selection on USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye or move forward with Fields as the franchise's quarterback. The Bears had the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and traded back in a deal with the Carolina Panthers that amounted to a showing of faith in Fields.

The Ohio State product likely did not win over many skeptics during the 2023 season. He finished with 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions through the air while adding 657 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Half of Fields' passing touchdowns came in a five-day stretch in October, and he threw just five touchdowns over his final eight starts.

Inconsistent footwork and impatience in the pocket have been hallmarks of Fields' time in Chicago, though he's flashed brilliance at times with his downfield passing ability and dynamic rushing in the open field. Early in the 2023 season, Getsy made the strange decision to keep Fields in the pocket too often, leading to the quarterback playing "robotic" football.

"You know, could be coaching, I think," Fields said in September when asked why he's been overthinking during games. "At the end of the day, they are doing their job when they are giving me what to look at, but at the end of the day, I can't be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week, and then when the game comes, it's time to play free at that point. Thinking less and playing more."

While Fields would later walk back his comments, many fans and pundits agreed at the time. Getsy was the source of almost never-ending scorn throughout his two years guiding the offense, and Fields' lack of improvement in his footwork reflects poorly on his coaching.

Eberflus will get a second crack at naming an offensive coordinator this offseason, but it's hard to understand how that decision will lead to organizational stability. If the Bears move on and take one of the two top quarterbacks in April, Williams or Maye will enter a situation where their first NFL coach could be fired just weeks into their career.

Fields wound up in the same boat when the Bears drafted him in 2011 despite Matt Nagy being on the hot seat. Nagy would be fired after Fields' rookie season and replaced by Eberflus, and now Fields will be playing in his third offensive system in four years—regardless of whether that happens in Chicago or elsewhere.