Bears Kicker Still Singing Matt Eberflus' Praises After Firing

It's been one week since the Chicago Bears fired former head coach Matt Eberflus following an abysmal Thanksgiving Day performance. While seeing someone lose their job isn't always easy, Bears fans didn't have issues saying goodbye to Eberflus, who only guided the franchise to a 14-32 record since the start of the 2022 NFL season.

Although Eberflus did more harm than good during his run in Chicago, his stay in the Windy City wasn't all bad. One of the 54-year-old's former players is still singing his praises ahead of Sunday's Week 14 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

Bears News: Cairo Santos Praises Matt Eberflus

Bears kicker Cairo Santos made it clear on Thursday afternoon that he still has a soft spot for Eberflus. Although the recently axed coach didn't bring much on-field success to the Windy City, the veteran kicker is grateful for one change made in Chicago.

"(Eberflus) made the grass at Soldier Field amazing," Santos told Bears insider Patrick Finley.

While praising a coach for grass would normally be unusual, this is one area where Eberflus does deserve praise.

When he was first hired as the head coach in 2022, Eberflus demanded an upgrade for the turf at Soldier Field. It was often regarded as one of the most dangerous and unforgiving home fields in the NFL and the last thing the former Toledo product wanted was for his players to suffer serious injuries under his watch.

It didn't take long before the changes came into effect, showing the influence that Eberflus immediately had over the Bears organization. The punishing Kentucky bluegrass was replaced by Bermuda grass, which was the same type of turf that Eberflus was used to from his time as the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator.

Interestingly enough, Santos was one of the first Bears to praise Eberflus for the changes two years ago.

"The Bermuda is a better grass to kick in this cold," Santos told ESPN on Sept. 7, 2022. "If you can grow it and protect it, then it's a great thing."

It isn't hard to see why Santos is still grateful for Eberflus' influence two years later. Since the start of the 2022 season, the ex-Tulane kicker is 35-of-40 (87.5%) on field-goal attempts and 46-of-54 (85.2%) on extra-point tries in 24 outings at Soldier Field.

Bears fans won't remember Eberflus for his in-game performance, but it's clear he's at least left a positive legacy at Soldier Field. Time will tell if interim Bears head coach Thomas Brown can make more of a results-based impact during his home debut in Week 16.

In the meantime, Brown and the Bears will focus on Sunday's Week 14 road meeting with the San Francisco 49ers — an upcoming showdown where Chicago is projected to be the 3.5-point underdog, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

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