Bears Matt Eberflus praises players in first comments since firing

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) ORG XMIT: WIMG150 Nam Y. Huh/AP Photos

In Matt Eberflus’ final appearance as Bears’ coach Friday, he defended the poor clock management that ultimately pushed the team to fire him. He was not aware at the time that he would be fired that day, and Saturday released a statement thanking the team and praising his players.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the players for all of their effort, dedication and resilience,” Eberflus said in a statement released to CBS. “In every situation — practice, games and…