The Chicago Bears appear to have found their new offensive coordinator.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears are working towards a deal to hire former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as their new OC. He replaces Luke Getsy, who was fired after two seasons.
Head coach Matt Eberflus informed other candidates of his decision last night, according to Albert Breer. “Waldron was in the mix for a number of coordinator jobs, so Chicago’s ability to move swiftly and efficiently through its process was key.”
Waldron brings a lot of experience to the table, which includes three years calling plays for Seattle. His other stops included the Los Angeles Rams (2017-20), Washington Redskins (2016) and New England Patriots (2008-09).
Waldron took over as Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2021, which marked Russell Wilson’s final season with the Seahawks after underwhelming results. But Waldron’s star has risen given the work he’s done with Geno Smith, who has proven to be a viable replacement in Seattle.
The #Bears are working towards a deal to hire Shane Waldron as their new offensive coordinator, per sources.
Waldron, 44, spent the past three seasons as Seattle’s OC. Now he’s expected to land in Chicago, which owns the No. 1 pick with a big question looming at QB. pic.twitter.com/otzxYRkDvZ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 22, 2024
The Bears were looking for an offensive coordinator to design an offense around players rather than force a system on them. Waldron is not only an experienced playcaller, but he’s proven he can design an offense around multiple quarterbacks.
Waldron has worked with several high-level quarterbacks during his time with the Rams and Seahawks, all with different skillsets. Whether it was traditional pocket passers like Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford or mobile quarterbacks like Wilson and Smith, Waldron understood how to build an offense around the specific quarterback in place.
Chicago has uncertainty at quarterback — stick with Justin Fields or draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the No. 1 pick. But Waldron has shown he has the adaptability Chicago is desperately seeking to build around that player.
