Major Bears Addition Already on Hot Seat After Disastrous Start
By Cem Yolbulan
The Chicago Bears made significant changes in the 2024 offseason, transforming the roster and the coaching staff. Not only did they add a ton of talent on the offensive end of the ball, most notably No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, but they also brought in new coordinators; Shane Waldron as OC and Eric Washington as DC.
Waldron's hiring as the new offensive coordinator was generally met with optimism. Luke Getsy was getting replaced after two underwhelming offensive seasons. Plus, Waldron had three solid seasons under Pete Carroll in Seattle, after working with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. His track record gave Bears fans a ton of hope for the new season.
That hasn't come to fruition so far. In fact, speculations already began about the Bears having buyer's remorse, according to Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. In his latest article, Biggs said that the team "might make a move with coordinator Shane Waldron if the offense remains a mess the next couple of weeks".
"Developing Caleb Williams is Waldron's No. 1 job and the Bears can feel like that's headed in the right direction, but there has to be some tangible improvement in the running game to give Williams a better chance."
- Brad Biggs, the Chicago Tribune
That is a brutal development for Waldron. Already being on the hot seat after only three games with a completely new team and a rookie quarterback may seem unfair but this is the NFL and things move very fast.
Plus, it's hard to argue that these criticisms have been unwarranted. Waldron had an awful play call in a fourth-down situation in Week 3, costing the team a touchdown. The offense has been in shambles as the Bears rank dead last in yards per play. The run game has been particularly awful with the Bears ranking second-to-last with 218 total yards through three games.
Considering the number of quality offensive weapons on this team, that is simply unacceptable. Things need to start improving soon, otherwise Waldron's days in Chicago will be numbered, regardless of whether it is deserved or not.