The Chicago Bears fan base tries to forget about what happened two years ago, as the whole season was a nightmare from start to finish.
One aspect that made it miserable was the offense in general in quarterback Caleb Williams' rookie season, which derailed after a 4-2 start and finished with a 5-12 record. Former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was a major reason for the struggles, leading to his being fired after just nine games on the job.
Since then, Waldron joined the Jacksonville Jaguars last year as the passing game coordinator. Things seem to be looking up for him as the Jaguars announced that he has been promoted to assistant head coach.
Shane Waldron promoted less than two years after Bears nightmare
Everything about that 2024 season for the offense was about as bad as it could have been. The offense was ranked 30th in yards per game and 24th in scoring during his nine-game era. By the end of the season, the Bears finished dead last in rushing.
Overall, the Bears were plagued by so many things that went wrong that season aside from losing 10 of the last 11 games. The offensive line allowed an NFL-high 68 sacks, and Williams never had a chance to develop properly, with just 20 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Waldron struggled to get the offense to live up to its potential, and his play-calling left a lot to be desired. It felt like a behind-the-scenes disaster, with reports that Williams spent more time alone watching tape than being coached.
It all worked out well for the Bears as they fired Waldron nine games into the 2024 season, a few weeks later fired head coach Matt Eberflus after the Thanksgiving Day nightmare, and replaced them with Ben Johnson as head coach and Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator. Johnson and Doyle led a Bears offense last season that finished in the top 10 in total offense and third in rushing, while also making the playoffs.
Read more: Clear argument was made for Caleb Williams being best QB in NFC North
At the end of the day, Bears fans saw the offense's full potential finally realized through Johnson and Williams, as the future looks bright in Chicago with those two working together. Jacksonville better be careful with Waldron, though, and not have thoughts about promoting him to offensive coordinator in the future, even with head coach Liam Coen calling the plays. Things fall apart under Waldron when he runs the offense.
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