3 Reasons Shane Waldron Was the Right Offensive Coordinator Hiring for the Bears
By Thomas Erbe
The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after their 2023-24 season came to an end. The Bears finished with a record of 7-9, more than doubling their win total from the season before. But at the end of it all, the offense barely saw much improvement, even with the addition of wide receiver DJ Moore.
Going into "Black Monday," the day after the NFL season where we see most of the coach firings, many speculated the Bears might clean house and start fresh with a new coaching staff and the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. But the Bears decided to stick with Matt Eberflus as head coach and just replace the offensive and defensive coordinators, plus some supporting staff.
Now, it is reported that Shane Waldron will be the new offensive coordinator in Chicago, leaving the Seattle Seahawks where he spent the last 3 seasons as their offensive coordinator.
We still do not know what the Bears' intentions are at the quarterback position. They could keep Justin Fields, trade down from the number one pick, and use the capital to give Fields more of a supporting cast around him. They could trade Fields and use the top pick to draft a quarterback, like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. They could even keep Fields while still drafting a quarterback first overall and have one of the most chaotic competitions we've seen.
There is still a lot of unknown, but we do know who will be coaching the offense now. Here's three things we know about Waldron that will help the Bears move forward.
Shane Waldron Coached Under Sean McVay.
Waldron, who worked with the Los Angeles Rams for 4 seasons, is one of the few coaches the Bears interviewed that have worked under current Rams head coach Sean McVay. McVay is known as one of the best offensive minds in football today - leading the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2018-19 season and winning the Lombardi Trophy in 2021-22.
Under McVay in Los Angeles, Waldron was a passing game coordinator and worked exclusively with tight ends and quarterbacks. He worked with quarterback Jared Goff, who is now the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, who are on their way to their first NFC Championship game in over 30 years. Waldron's work with Goff and the Rams led him to get the call from Seattle to be the offensive coordinator and play-caller for the Seahawks.
The Bears are in desperate need of a rejuvenation in their offense. The creators of the forward pass in football are still the only franchise in the NFL who have never had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards in a single season. With the stops Waldron has made in football and the coaches and offensive minds he's crossed paths with along the way, the hope is he can bring Chicago something they've never seen before.