The Chicago Bears’ season is effectively over, and head coach Matt Eberflus was fired on Friday following a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions. Eberflus finished his tenure with a 14-32 record, and after a disappointing Week 13 performance, his late-game decisions against the Lions came under heavy scrutiny.

Eberflus addressed the media over Zoom just after 9 a.m. on Friday, and two hours later, he was officially let go. The Bears announced the firing with statements from general manager Ryan Poles and president/CEO Kevin Warren. A team source clarified that the decision-makers—McCaskey, Poles, and Warren—were still in meetings during the scheduled press conference, and no final decision had been made about Eberflus’ future at that time. As a result, the presser took place as planned, without signaling the imminent change. By the time the decision to part ways with Eberflus was finalized, the press conference was already over.

The Bears had an opportunity to win against the Lions but suffered a costly late-game mistake. Caleb Williams was sacked with 36 seconds left, and Chicago failed to use its final timeout, resulting in a failed last-second throw to Rome Odunze.

The Bears’ playoff hopes are officially dashed.