The 2023 Chicago Bears are not a normal amount of “bad.” They are the kind of awful that permeates itself on and off the field. The NFL’s worst team is a sideshow when it plays games and, at this blistering pace, seems essentially guaranteed to give us a new dramatic episode every week.
After Chicago’s embarrassing collapse to the Denver Broncos, this week’s tale centers around Chase Claypool. The former high-profile trade acquisition was benched in advance of Sunday’s game. In the aftermath, apparently no one — including head coach Matt Eberflus — could keep a straight story about what was happening with Claypool. On Monday, the Bears’ media contingent let Eberflus have it during his weekly press conference. By my count, they asked him nearly 20 consecutive questions about Claypool’s situation. They were flat-out grilling him about a player for whom the Bears surrendered the 2023 No. 32 overall pick.
And for over six minutes, Eberflus found increasingly silly and distanced ways of saying nothing of substance on the matter.
This was remarkable work in obfuscating:
#Bears HC Matt Eberflus got nearly 20 straight questions to open his presser today about what's happening with Chase Claypool.
Just got grilled on the topic… Question after question…
(via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/DMbVaSfppn
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 2, 2023
Coach Eberflus is speaking with the media https://t.co/vykv2VXaHg
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 2, 2023
I don’t know what the Bears are doing with Claypool. I highly doubt it’s anything more than a player who turns in inconsistent efforts being unwelcome in the team’s already fledgling culture. But Eberflus and the Bears don’t do themselves any favors when they refuse to say anything meaningful and seemingly lie about what’s happening with one of their players. When you have the opportunity to speak up, the least you can do is give a straight, honest answer.
There’s keeping things internal for the team’s sake, and then there’s needlessly adding more angst to a circus. The Bears and Eberflus fit the latter description and don’t even seem to know it.
This was how Twitter reacted
Didn’t provide a single straight answer. Most of the presser was uncomfortable & flat out frustrating.
I’m not even sure how much of this is actually on Matt Eberflus, though. This has been a common trend going back multiple HCs. IMO, it comes from the top & it’s a bad look. https://t.co/nYAvr8ipaT
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) October 2, 2023
Good. Lord. It's over. It's so over https://t.co/qYde1Yh0cG
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) October 2, 2023
LMAO they got him over hot coals https://t.co/0T5SdDgY8o
— Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) October 2, 2023
Such a terrible job by Eberflus handling these questions. He needs to go. https://t.co/sHYs0BBN4o
— Faizan Qurashi (@FaizanQurashi) October 2, 2023
Matt Eberflus was again completely unprepared for this line of questioning. Even after all of the back and forth and contradictions yesterday following the game.
I understand coaches want to divulge as little as possible but this effort to be vague is coming off as incompetency https://t.co/vPetrIv1nl
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) October 2, 2023
This is why it frustrates me when people get on Bears media for questions.
This is a GREAT example. Asking the right questions and pushing Eberflus on what is aruably the biggest story this week and last.
And here are the answers….. Nothing. Just dancing around it. https://t.co/cEX3J4qAho
— Bear Report (@BearReport) October 2, 2023
This is hard to watch https://t.co/sCzwW6nl5E
— Khalil Herbert Stan Account (@TommyK_NFLDraft) October 2, 2023
I think all 31 other coaches lob in a “not going to talk about it anymore, on to week 5” after about question 3 or 4. https://t.co/1qSw9W6WFZ
— Beto (@_BMule) October 2, 2023
It is only week 4 and he is going full Trestman
This guy is incredible! https://t.co/kQDhF1Q20B
— Mathtober (@BigMEMath) October 2, 2023
