The Chicago Bears (4-5) announced the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday.
It was one day after head coach Matt Eberflus took to the podium and declared that changes would be made, though he declined to get into specifics about what those changes would be.
Firing Waldron may prove nothing more than a mid-season bandaid that leads to more sweeping changes this coming offseason. But it is a significant one that has franchise-altering implications. First, let’s get into his replacement, passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, and the beliefs he holds.
Shane Waldron Out as Bears OC Amid Caleb Williams’ Struggles
Thomas Brown Next Man Up for Caleb Williams, Bears
The Bears named Brown as the interim offensive coordinator, and he will take the podium for the first time in his new role on Wednesday.
This is what Brown has had to say about developing Caleb Williams:
“I think being able to understand how to keep drives alive, have and sustain longer drives. Put the ball in play when it comes to some tight window throws quick, some stuff when it comes to communication, the line of scrimmage when it comes to directing traffic,” Brown told Clocker Sports in September.
“Also, we have some pretty wordy calls/criteria when it comes to what we’re checking into. So being able to build upon that week in and week out is going to be part of his overall growth.”
Brown interviewed for the offensive coordinator’s position before Waldron was hired.
The #Texans requested an interview with #Rams assistant head coach/TE coach Thomas Brown for their head coaching job, per source.
Houston is looking for a young coach to grow with a young team, and Brown fits the mold. pic.twitter.com/oOfA6TmTUv
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 12, 2023
Albeit brief, Brown does have a history of calling plays from his time with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 and is still a part of the vaunted “Sean McVay coaching tree that drew the Bears to Waldron.
However, former Panthers head coach Frank Reich took back playcalling duties one month after giving them to Brown during the 2023 season as his job security came into question.
The Panthers ranked 31st in points and 32nd in yards.
They were 30th in the running game and 32nd as a passing offense. Brown always seemed like a likely successor for Waldron, though our thoughts were in the context of the latter moving on to a potential head coaching vacancy if his stint with Williams was successful.
Brown was one of the rising candidates this past offseason, so this will be an invaluable experience for him regardless of the outcome.
Perhaps some simpler play calls and reads and a renewed commitment to the run game will jumpstart Williams.
Where Things Went Wrong for Shane Waldron, Bears
Eberflus and Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke about wanting to find a dynamic coordinator who thrived at making in-game adjustments after firing Luke Getsy – who has already been fired by the Las Vegas Raiders after Week 9 – in January.
After he was hired, Waldron, too, touted his ability to do those things while players raved about his ability to teach the offense. But questions about the game plan and play calls had become more prevalent.
A quick glance at the Bears’ offense and Williams’ stats since the Week 7 bye drives the Bears’ decision home.
| Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opp | Result | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Lng | Y/A | AY/A | Y/C | Rate | Sk | Yds | Sk% | NY/A | ANY/A | |
| 2024-11-10 | NWE | L 3-19 | 30 | 53.3 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4.0 | 4.00 | 7.5 | 63.2 | 9 | 51 | 23.08 | 1.77 | 1.77 | |
| 2024-11-03 | @ | ARI | L 9-29 | 41 | 53.7 | 217 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5.3 | 5.29 | 9.9 | 68.9 | 6 | 45 | 12.77 | 3.66 | 3.66 |
| 2024-10-27 | @ | WAS | L 15-18 | 24 | 41.7 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5.5 | 5.46 | 13.1 | 59.5 | 3 | 26 | 11.11 | 3.89 | 3.89 |
| 2024-10-13 | JAX | W 35-16 | 29 | 79.3 | 226 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 7.8 | 9.00 | 9.8 | 124.4 | 3 | 5 | 9.38 | 6.91 | 8.00 | |
| 2024-10-06 | CAR | W 36-10 | 29 | 69.0 | 304 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 10.5 | 11.86 | 15.2 | 126.2 | 1 | 8 | 3.33 | 9.87 | 11.20 | |
| 2024-09-29 | LAR | W 24-18 | 23 | 73.9 | 157 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 6.8 | 7.70 | 9.2 | 106.6 | 3 | 24 | 11.54 | 5.12 | 5.88 | |
| 2024-09-22 | @ | IND | L 16-21 | 52 | 63.5 | 363 | 2 | 2 | 47 | 7.0 | 6.02 | 11.0 | 80.8 | 4 | 31 | 7.14 | 5.93 | 5.04 |
| 2024-09-15 | @ | HOU | L 13-19 | 37 | 62.2 | 174 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 4.7 | 2.27 | 7.6 | 51.0 | 7 | 40 | 15.91 | 3.05 | 1.00 |
| 2024-09-08 | TEN | W 24-17 | 29 | 48.3 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3.2 | 3.21 | 6.6 | 55.7 | 2 | 29 | 6.45 | 2.06 | 2.06 |
Washington ranks fifth against the pass. But New England is 16th and Arizona is 20th. All are 20th or worse in air yards per attempt allowed.
Also notice the uptick and then downturn of Williams’ air yards per attempt which could suggest a message was sent to the young QB to limit risks and avoid costly turnovers. Williams entered the league with a gunslinger reputation and had put the ball in harm’s way trying to make plays.
The eye test showed little mitigation of Williams’ overcorrection.
The risk of trying to coach a quarterback like him into fitting a system was always this. Williams looks too risk-averse to maximize his talents.
However, Waldron’s tenure went just about as anyone might expect. Waldron’s groups ranked in the top 15 in passing yards in each of the past two seasons. His previous tenure with the Seattle Seahawks was buoyed by a remarkable 2022 campaign from Geno Smith.
Smith led the ninth-ranked scoring offense which also gained the 13th-most yards.
Waldron’s other starting quarterback during his tenure with the Seahawks was nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. There was nothing in his past to suggest he was the best option for a rookie QB either.
He was the Rams’ passing game coordinator in 2018 when they lost the Super Bowl. But his first QB-related title did not come until 2019. He spent the two seasons before that as the Los Angeles Rams’ tight ends coach and then passing game coordinator.
Waldron added QB coach to the latter title in 2019. He reverted to solely being the PGC in 2020 but was with Jared Goff since the QB’s second year.
Waldron left for Seattle amid an exodus of Rams coaches.
That same season, the Rams traded Goff in a package for Matthew Stafford and won the Super Bowl. That is not to suggest Waldron held the Rams back but to add context to questions about the initial hiring.
What Comes Next for Bears
In most instances, the obvious answer would be that a head coaching change is the next step for the Bears. That is if Brown’s “promotion” does not take. That decision will seemingly only come after the season if at all barring an outright mutiny.
Poles will surely face questions about keeping Eberflus in place the next time he meets the press. That was a question before the season and remains after yet another assistant’s exit.
Matt Eberflus' hires as Bears HC:
OC Luke Getsy, fired
DC Alan Williams, controversial resignation
QBs Coach Andrew Janocko, fired
WRs Coach Tyke Tolbert, fired
Assisant TEs Coach Tim Zetts, fired
RBs Coach David Walker, fired after an HR incident
OC Shane Waldron, fired— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 12, 2024
The GM has touted his head coach’s ability to navigate turmoil and the culture he has built.
Amid rumors of a fractured locker room about Waldron and Williams, the Bears made a decision. But it is the latest in a string of them that has typically led to an end the Bears organization has become all too familiar with.
That brings the focus beyond Eberflus and squarely to Poles. Eventually, if Poles remains in place but cannot course-correct, it will lead to team president Kevin Warren. Then, where it ultimately always goes, is back to ownership. The more the Bears try to come up with solutions, the more questions and problems they seem to create.