Report: Trestman's Job Security Is 'Tenuous'
(CBS) Even during a bye week, the Bears find themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Chicago coach Marc Trestman's job security was described as "tenuous" in a report from CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora on Sunday, and after an embarrassing 51-23 loss at New England last week, members of the organization feared Trestman might lose his job before Bears chairman George McCaskey gave him and general manager Phil Emery a vote of confidence later in the week.
From the CBSSports.com report:
The Bears are in a state of crisis, according to several sources with knowledge of the locker room, with a leadership void further fueling their downward spiral. Players are tuning coach Marc Trestman out, according to numerous sources, there has been increased in-fighting in recent weeks and the team's dedication has been called in to question at times by players and coaches alike, sources said.
The Bears are 3-5 and in last place in the NFC North after the Vikings (4-5) won Sunday. The Lions lead the division at 6-2, while the Packers sit at 5-3.
It's not a stretch to say Chicago's season hangs in the balance heading into next Sunday's primetime matchup at Green Bay. A loss would send the Bears to 3-6 on the season and potentially four games back in the division, with only seven games remaining.
Heading into the season, expectations were high for the team, which Trestman openly acknowledged and welcomed at the outset of training camp in Bourbonnais.
"We want the expectations," Trestman said. "We have high expectations. Our players have said it. Our players feel it. But at the end of the day they know they've got to go to work and get it done. It's not going to happen because we think it's going to happen. The work has got to take place.
"We recognize as a football team the excitement around our team, the community's excitement around our football team and what I (describe) as the noise that goes on around us."
Since the season started, the noise has made its way into the Bears' locker room, where frustrations are mounting. Several players have been vocal about the team's unacceptable level of play and a lack of leadership has been called into question.
Trestman has set a goal to develop a team of leaders, but that plan hasn't worked to date.
The Bears' roster is the third-oldest in the league, but it's short on players who have been a part of teams that consistently win who can be looked upon to galvanize the fractured locker room.
Trestman and Emery addressed the media a week ago to acknowledge their failures in the team's disappointing start and remained steadfast that the solutions reside within Halas Hall from both a personnel and coaching perspective. Fans are rightly dubious of the message from the Bears' brain trust, and only winning results can change the narrative.
Trestman is 11-13 in his Chicago tenure.
