The decision to fire Lovie Smith was made due to inconsistency on offense and the Chicago Bears' inability to perennially advance to the postseason.

"During the course of Smith's career, we've had one offense that ranked in the teens (in 2006, when the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl). We haven't had the balance between our defensive excellence," GM Phil Emery said during a Tuesday press conference. "We have searched for answers. The end result is we did not have enough consistency. That, paired with not getting into the playoffs on a consistent basis, I made the change moving forward."