Caleb Williams Says Bears Were 'Annoyed' by How Matt Eberflus Handled Hail Mary Loss

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams revealed that the team wasn't supportive of former head coach Matt Eberflus' response to a Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 8 of the 2024 season.

“How [Eberflus] handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by,” Williams said in an interview with Brian O'Keefe of Esquire (h/t Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times).

On the play before the Hail Mary that allowed Washington to secure an improbable 18-15 win, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels found Terry McLaurin for a 13-yard gain to set up the final throw while Chicago played prevent defense.

"You're defending touchdown there," Eberflus said after the loss, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever that is, doesn't really matter. It's always going to come down to that last play."

The short gain allowed Daniels to make an easier throw towards the end zone, which was eventually caught by wideout Noah Brown.

The Bears sat at 4-2 prior to the shocking defeat and ended up losing 10 of their final 11 games of the season.

Eberflus wasn't patrolling the sidelines while the year came to a close, as he was fired by Chicago after the team dropped to 4-8.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic later reported that there was a "buildup of anger and disappointment" among Bears players regarding the head coach prior to his exit.

Eberflus' Hail Mary response appears to have played a role in the reported disconnect with players.