INDIANAPOLIS — A year after ranking 10th in the NFL Players Association’s annual survey of how players feel they are treated by their teams, the Chicago Bears checked in at No. 14 in the 2024 report released Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine.
Across 11 categories, the Bears received improved year-over-year letter grades in four areas: food/cafeteria, nutritionist and dietitian, strength coaching and ownership.
The only category in which the team’s grade dipped from 2023 to 2024 was head coach, where the Bears dropped from a B to a C. But the team has since fired Matt Eberflus from that role and replaced him with Ben Johnson.
The criticism of Eberflus was the most damning in the feedback from Bears players in this year’s survey.
“The players’ most frequent complaint,” the NFLPA report read, “was with their former head coach Matt Eberflus. The players felt like he lacked a willingness to listen to the players and the players’ leadership council, and he mismanaged the weekly team schedule.”
NFLPA President J.C. Tretter couldn’t elaborate on the specifics of what Bears players thought Eberflus mismanaged, but he did note that a new-coach bump may be in the forecast for 2025.
“We see that a lot when a new coach comes in with new energy, a new philosophy, a new outlook,” Tretter said. “That’s not a guarantee. But those things often get corrected when you create new direction with a new outlook on how to run your organization.
“And again, this is about a coach’s schedule, his time efficiency with the players and willingness to listen to feedback. We’re not asking, ‘How well does your coach break down the Tampa-2 coverage?’”
Six coaches received an A-plus in this year’s survey: the Washington Commanders’ Dan Quinn, the Atlanta Falcons’ Raheem Morris, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid, the Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel and the Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell.
The NFLPA said 1,695 players — about 77% — responded to the survey, which it has conducted for the last three years. The survey was taken between Aug. 26 and Nov. 20.
Tretter emphasized that the driving force of the exercise and the feedback it produces is to help NFL organizations better understand how to enhance the player experience.
“I wouldn’t say accountability is the No. 1 driver,” Tretter said. “Players have been asking for something like this for two decades. And we started this three years ago to figure out a way to provide a service to our guys. And that service is knowledge and information.
“Previously you might be on a team experiencing what you thought was normal (in the league). And it wasn’t until you got traded or signed with another team that you were able to see, ‘That wasn’t normal.’ The major thing about this is having the union poll our membership and sharing that information so players can make educated decisions and have an educated understanding of their workplace.”
The Bears received a grade below B in three categories for 2024: treatment of families (C-plus), food/cafeteria (C-plus) and head coach (C). The cafeteria food was rated 7.06 out of 10 in taste (23rd in the league) and 7.45 in freshness (24th).
The Bears’ highest grades came in weight room (A), locker room (A-minus) and ownership (A-minus), with that last category expanded this year to measure ownership’s willingness to invest in facilities, contributions to creating a positive team culture and commitment to building a competitive team.
“The players feel that the McCaskey family moderately contributes to a positive team culture,” the report read. “The players feel that the McCaskey family is extremely committed to building a competitive team.”
With Johnson aboard as the new coach, the Bears are eyeing significant improvements in 2025 with an expectation they can become competitive soon.
The Bears ranked last in the overall rankings in the NFC North, with the Vikings (second), Green Bay Packers (seventh) and Lions (ninth) all cracking the top 10.
Tretter understands each team will have its own interpretations and reactions to its grades. But he encourages organizations to be less caught up in the leaguewide rankings and more engaged with the specific suggestions players made to enhance their experience.
“My hope is there will be a day when we can give out A-pluses to all 32 teams across all 11 categories,” Tretter said. “And even within that, someone will have to come in at No. 32.
“I would encourage teams to immerse themselves in the grades of each category and focus their efforts on improving areas where their players are saying there is room for improvement.”
