The Cincinnati Bengals missed the postseason, but they aren’t slowing down in making necessary improvements. One of those changes involves moving on from Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator and starting the search for a new one. Among the candidates is someone who was fired as a head coach in November by another team.
According to information from Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals have shown interest in Matt Eberflus for the defensive coordinator position. While nothing is definitive, he is reportedly on the franchise’s list. Eberflus was let go as head coach of the Chicago Bears in November 2024.
The Bengals’ defense is in desperate need of help. They know they have a quarterback in Joe Burrow who does an outstanding job on offense, but the defense hasn’t been pulling its weight. Despite finishing the season on a winning streak, the Bengals ranked 25th out of 32 teams in defense, allowing 25.5 points per game.
It’s important to remember that the reason Eberflus was fired from the Bears was, of course, the poor results he had in his 12 weeks with the franchise. He was let go on November 29 with a 4-8 record, and Thomas Brown took over as interim head coach, finishing with a 1-4 record.
Eberflus’ Defensive Experience
Despite the poor record he had with the Bears, Eberflus is a highly experienced NFL coach in the defensive field. He began his career in 2009 with the Cleveland Browns as a linebackers coach, then moved to the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2017, where he held the same role and also worked as a passing game coordinator.
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Eberflus’ first official job as a defensive coordinator in the NFL was with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2021. His best season with the Colts came in his final year, when the defense ranked 9th out of 32 teams in the league. He also led the team to the playoffs twice and never finished in the last spot in the division, securing second place three times.
