The Bears’ search for a new offensive coordinator is set to come to an end. Chicago is finalizing an agreement with Seahawks OC Shane Waldron, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
Waldron was one of several staffers who interviewed for the position after Luke Getsy was fired. That move came as little surprise after Chicago failed to take a tangible step forward in the passing game this season. Improvement in that regard will be a top priority for Waldron, head coach Matt Eberflus and whichever quarterback the Bears make a commitment to for 2024 and beyond.
The Bears requested an interview with nine OC candidates, beginning with Waldron. The 44-year-old has served as Seattle’s play-caller for the past three seasons, and he drew praise for his work in the 2022 season in particular. Quarterback Geno Smith enjoyed a resurgent campaign that year, and he earned himself a new contract in the process. Smith and the Seahawks did not follow up as expected in 2023, however, ranking 17th in scoring and 21st in total offense en route to missing the postseason.
A step forward from those figures will be needed in the future to help Chicago return to postseason contention. The Bears showed signficant improvement on defense in the second half of the campaign, but they finished the season ranked just 27th in passing yards per game. That showing contrasts with the team’s second-place finish in rushing, and a better balance will need to be struck in either another year with Justin Fields at the helm or a rookie season for the top pick in April’s draft.
If the Bears do elect to move on from Fields and start over using the No. 1 selection, they will likely do so by adding Caleb Williams. For that reason, it was particularly notable when USC quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury found himself on the Bears’ radar by receiving an interview request. Kingsbury and Williams worked together in 2023 with the Trojans, so adding them as a package deal this offseason would have come as little surprise. Williams may well find himself in Chicago soon, but it will be Waldron in charge of the offense if that happens.
The latter began his NFL coaching career in 2008 with the Patriots before spending time in the UFL and the college ranks. Waldron put himself on the coordinator radar during his four-year tenure with the Rams, which included three seasons as the team’s passing game coordinator. After a three-year run in Seattle, he will look to deliver more consistent results in Chicago.
As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes, the Bears attempted to speak with Chargers OC Kellen Moore for their vacancy, but they were blocked from doing so. Moore has spoken with Los Angeles about the team’s head coaching position, so it comes as little surprise an opportunity for a lateral move was denied. While Moore’s future remains in the air, Waldron’s is now clear as he prepares for a move to the Windy City.
They’re drafting a new QB. A drop back passer, rather than a scrambler.
You could be right, but I feel like they’d be making a mistake if they go QB. Fields has the support of the players, and he has shown well recently. The smarter play, at least to me, would be to try and trade back with Washington, and for the Bears to take Marvin Harrison Jr.
I agree Fields is a special athlete but he still, after 3 seasons, hangs onto the ball too long. And he had the lowest 4th qtr QBR in the league. That just won’t cut it. I’ll be surprised if they don’t take a QB.
I’d argue Jordan Love looked completely lost for a long time as an NFL QB, too. A lot of development is about finding the right coaching. I don’t know if Waldron would be that for Fields, but a different voice guiding him and another elite WR could help Fields take the next step. Three seasons isn’t a long time.
I’d argue Jordan Love looked completely lost for a long time
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I’d argue that Jordan Love only had one start prior to this season.
that’s asinine. he barely played before this season. w
I agree that the Bears draft a QB but it won’t be at #1. They will trade that pick.
After all, you can get a Pro Bowl QB with the very last pick in the draft.
Bears have too many holes to fill to take a QB, much less a guy that has a lot of red flags in Williams.
I hope Poles is smart, trades down, get a play making WR (like MHJ) and then uses the rest of the picks on O and D line (maybe another TE to take some of the load off of Kmet, which teams obviously target to try to get him out of the game). The Bears only need an above average QB, if the Bears can have that with Fields then do it.
Decent hire and he comes from the Sean Mckay coaching tree. With a couple exceptions the Bears wanted someone from the Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. Most of the candidates came from from one or the other.
I forget who came from the Bill B tree? That’s right not one successful coach, including Bill after Tom left for greener pastures in Tampa.
Brian Flores did alright in Miami. Took over a pretty lackluster situation and produced some winning seasons.
Bill O Brien had a good run in Houston for a while. Couple division titles.
Brian was in a difficult situation in Miami, for sure. But was around .500 & has bounced around the league since then.
Same for BoB, a few devision titles, but was despised by all and I haven’t heard of him having another HC interview. And his trade of Hopkins was openly lauded at by everyone.
But out of 20 years, those were the only 2 coaches to have ‘some success’?
He didn’t bounce around the league
He spent 1 year in a Pittsburgh because Tomlin gave him a job because he had the lawsuit against the NFL & teams were clearly distancing themselves from him
Now he is DC of Vikings
Far from bouncing around
Brain’s D was ranked 16th this year. Literally average.
They were 30th the year before so marked improvement.
16 out of 32, average. They’ll be an average D next year as well.
That’s because when you have a guy like Brady at QB you can hide a LOT of deficiencies.
Better than that hack Kliff. I guess.
It’s about time the Bears get Fields the OC he deserves to help elevate his overall game to the next level.
I like this but, honestly, after 3 seasons, I’d say it’s about time for FIELDS to elevate his game.
I get some people don’t like Fields, but why do people insist on counting ’22? Where Fields had no O Line, was almost the entire offense, and his ‘best’ receiver was the wrong St Brown or an ineffective Mooney?
One could argue its amazing he would win 3 games with both that offense and that defense. The Bears had leads in games and the D gave it up. Getsy was also too conservative until late this season, when it was pretty much too late AND the Bears still almost made the playoffs if not for a few drops here and there on the offense (unless people think Fields is Bugs bunny and trying to also catch everything thrown). Fields still needs work, but I think people sandbag him hard.
Fields is getting traded.
1 down for the Steelers
Interesting move….little blurp from Denver radio on the Broncos and how they can get out from under Wilson’s deal. Host suggested trading Wilson, 2024 1st pick #12 and a 2025 2nd round pick. In return Broncos get Fields, Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair. Broncos cut Jackson/Whitehair and keep Fields. Bears keep Wilson 1st year of the deal is equal to Fields/Jackson/Whitehair salary and they restructure the second year. Bears take Williams or trade back some and take Maye or Daniels. They then draft whom ever they want at #9 and #12.
Not exactly sure why they would take Jackson and Whitehair just to cut them. This isn’t the NBA. We’re not matching salaries here. The Bears will cut them anyway and designate them June 1 casualties. So you’re deal is Wilson and the Bears are stuck with him for a year? Not sure what else is in that contract but just trade 12 for Fields and it’s the same thing without all the decoration. They need a 2nd rd pick this year to replace the one they traded for Sweat. They already have 2 second rd. picks next year one of which is Carolina’s which should be near the top of the 2nd rd. I’d even trade Fields for 2 seconds and a 5th maybe. Then trade down 1 a bit and get a 2nd rounder this year. Nobody wants any part of Wilson’s contract including the Broncos. It’s not smart to have 3 first round picks in one year. It gets costly.
Why would the Bears get rid of Fields for Wilson and still draft Williams or any other QB with their 1rd picks? Make little sense. Again I laugh at those who fret over the salary cap like they are a McCaskey or something. Wilson is not going to teach anymore or less than Fields, and given what was going on with Wilson in Denver, I doubt the Bears want a Prima Donna in their midst. Say what you will about Fields, but he is thinking of the team more than himself.
This could be an excellent hire if Shane is as good with offensive weapons as Alan Ladd.
It’s effed up that the Chargers keep blocking this past season’s coaches.
They had to block something this year.
Field showed great progress this past season and with a new and likely much better OC he will improve and learn to get rid of the ball faster before using his legs.
Who is the OC for the Falcons? Because that’s likely who Fields will be playing for. It certainly won’t be the Bears.
Fields has played for 3 seasons now, and still can’t process the field in 2.5 seconds. Even the ghosts of Don Shula, George Halas, Bill Walsh, amd Tim Landry can’t coach that.
Someone will give him a starting gig. It just won’t be the Bears.
I get that Fields needs to improve, but he played for two seasons, and got beat up in another in ’22. I love how people are willfully ignorant of ’22. When his legs were literally one of the only weapons on the roster, Offensively or Defensively that is when he was not tackling dummy or running for his life. He ain’t bugs bunny out there, even this season the Oline is not that good (I do not care what stat someone tries to throw out there) then we was missing his only two weapons out there in Kmet and Moore for a bunch of games (and it showed) and the Bears defense flat out failed in games this season, and their OC (Getsy) was FAR too conservative at times (when not telegraphing plays to the opposing defense). Its either willful ignorance or just not really fans but reading blurbs about how great Williams is supposed to be and how bad Fields is
Willful ignorance is thinking all of this isn’t Fields fault. If you actually watch the games you’d see he can’t process a play in 2.5 seconds. If in over 2 seasons he can’t process a play quickly, he isn’t an NFL starting QB. The OLine was fine, he had a great running game ahead of him, and a average or slightly better than average WR group. Still ranked in the bottom 3rd of the league for NFL starting QBs.
Sorry, I watched the games, and did not just stare at a stat sheet at the end of them. So its all Fields fault, cannot also be because of crappy play calling (I mean crap like calling 3 screens in a row and getting insanely predictable where the D knew what was coming before the snap), cannot also be because most times receivers were not getting open (BTW his two targets -Moore and Kmet- were hurt throughout the season, and when St Brown is your ahem ‘best WR’ on the field and Mooney dropping a winning touchdown in a game, and fairly certain doing that in another), cannot be because guys were coming clear to hit him due to miscommunications on the oline, or just because Davis sucks and let guys push right around him?
Like I said Fields needs to improve, but it is just complete willful ignorance to pin it all on him (and apparently also ignoring that ’22 was a wash year for the whole team). Keeping staring at that stat sheet though, and get Williams and you will be whining about how he sucks too in a season.
Crappy play calling because he can’t process the play quickly and make snap decisions in the NFL. What OC would trust him with anything other than bubble screens?
Like I said, the OLine was fine, he had a great running game, and still couldn’t make plays. He’s got all the talent in the world, but just can’t process fast enough.
The running game was good, but a lot of that was Forman breaking tackles for most of the games he played in. In any case, if the running game was so great, then why was the OC not calling more running plays then? Thats right, the OC was calling running plays late in games, specifically the 3 games the Bears could not finish off to get the wins as the Bears running game got stuffed, but the O-line was great right? O line was crappy at pass defense, and OK at rushing which tends to happens with crappy/average lines. They were better than in ’22, but that is not saying much. Fields needs to get better without a doubt, and I still think the next OC can find that out, but again anyone who thinks its solely on Fields is not watching games. He is not Bugs bunny and playing every position, though it seems like many try to make him out to be. Give Fields a better o-line and OC, whether here or another roster, and he likely does better.
Look at Stroud.
Rookie QB, rookie D minded HC, no name WRs, average RBs, OL injuries all season.
He did great. Had all the same excuses Fields had. Plus Stroud was really good in the playoffs. Fields isn’t in his his league.
I rest my case.
This link says it all. Fields ranked 23/30 starting QBs in 2023. I watched enough NFL games to agree with this.
link to espn.com
Stroud had a better line, OC and arguably better a better overall receiver and TE group than the Bears. The Bears had Moore and Kmet, who both were banged up and missed a chunk of games for the Bears.
Never mind that he was drafted #2, Fields at #10. I get you have blind hatred for Fields, but again he is not the only issue on this Offensive roster that needs to be corrected for any QB to have a chance on this team.
Not blind hatred. I wish he was the guy to move forward instead the QB carousel. What I really wished is for Harbaugh as HC. He could fix Fields better than anyone else out there.