Falcons interview former Bears HC Matt Eberflus for DC job

The Atlanta Falcons have become a landing zone for a number of former Chicago Bears players and coaches in recent years, and they're looking at a prominent name for one of their coaching positions.

The Falcons interviewed former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus for their defensive coordinator vacancy, the team announced on Saturday. This is Eberflus' first confirmed interview for a coaching position since he was fired from the Bears.

Eberflus spent the last two and a half years as head coach of the Bears, going 14-32 during his tenure. He spent just a handful of weeks with a winning record as head coach and presided over some of the biggest blown leads and worst losses in team history. Eberflus was fired following a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions in November when he lost his sixth-straight game, in part due to a negligent coaching error as time expired.

Despite the lack of success as a head coach, Eberflus was at his best when calling the defense. The Bears had one of the better units in 2023, including the best run defense by allowing 86.4 yards per game, tying the league lead for interceptions, and improving as a whole when he took over defensive playcalling duties. Prior to his head coaching stint in Chicago, Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-2021.

Should he land with the Falcons, Eberflus would join former Bears general manager Ryan Pace, who is the vice president of football operations for Atlanta. Pace has helped cultivate quite a few former Bears on the Falcons roster, including wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who played under Eberflus from 2022 to 2023.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Falcons interview former Bears HC Matt Eberflus for DC job