The Chicago Bears officially fired head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday and general manager Ryan Poles released a statement about the move, according to Tom Pelissero.

“This morning, after meeting with George and Kevin, we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head coaching position,” said Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles. “I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism, and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” Poles said.

After a blunder in the Bears' loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, that seemed to be the last straw for the franchise. Despite them never firing a head coach midseason since the 1940s, this marks a first. Interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will also step in as the interim head coach. The Bears sixth straight loss signaled a painful end to a woeful season for Eberflus.

Matt Eberflus wasn't the right guy to lead the Bears

While Poles's statement seemed genuine, the performance on the field was simply not good enough for ownership. Although there have been concerns about ownership, Poles did everything he could do to build a talented roster. From trading for Keenan Allen, acquiring DJ Moore last season, and drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. The roster was built to win now, even with a rookie quarterback.

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However, much of the problem came down to coaching. From last-second hail marys and blunders, those instances come down to coaching. To illustrate the point, the Bears had over 30 seconds left after going down. Although they had a timeout, he elected not to use it, and not try to tie the game. Also, the game was against the Lions, the top NFC team and division rival.

Some of the changes that had to be made are ones that a head coach needs to. For instance, Eberflus fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, after not scoring a touchdown in two consecutive weeks. The talent the Bears have, essentially, makes it very impossible to truly struggle. Despite this, players weren't listening. Even DJ Moore clashed with Eberflus after Chicago's Week 9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Regardless, Poles and ownership knew it was time for a change. They haven't made any comments about finding a new head coach. After all, Brown did turn around the offense. They might see what he can do as an interim head coach. If things go well, Brown could be the next permanent head coach for the Bears.