It took a day longer than I expected, but Luke Getsy and other offensive staff members were shown the door on January 10, 2024. The move was to be expected once Matt Eberflus survived Black Monday. Now, the big questions surrounding the Chicago Bears in 2024 are will Justin Fields still be under center, will Ryan Poles draft a quarterback with the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft, and who will be the new offensive and defensive coordinators?
Defensive coordinator seems less important than offensive coordinator. Most of the defensive side of the ball was retained thanks to Matt Eberflus staying. Eberflus took over play-calling as soon as Alan Williams was relieved of his position due to off-the-field issues. The defense took a big jump forward with Eberflus at the helm, but it also had to do with the defense getting healthier and adding Montez Sweat at the trade deadline.
The offensive side of the ball needs the most work. Luke Getsy was not a good in-game play-caller and the offense struggled from an efficiency standpoint. Now, the Chicago Bears have a big decision to make. It might be difficult to land one of the top offensive coordinators since Matt Eberflus is still here and his job security seems up in the air beyond 2024. Although, Eberflus said their phones are ringing off the hook.
That said, the Chicago Bears are not wasting any time moving on from Luke Getsy. Reports are that the Bears have requested an interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
The #Bears requested an interview with #Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron for their OC job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 11, 2024
With Pete Carroll out, Seattle’s assistants are now available, and Chicago is moving quickly after making a change today.
This would not have been possible if it was not for Pete Carroll's tenure coming to an end in Seattle. There is no way Shane Waldron would have left Seattle for Chicago in what is basically a lateral move. Unless Waldron gets the opportunity to take over the Seahawks (doubtful), then Chicago could be a great option for the offensive coordinator who has worked with the likes of Bill Belichick, Sean McVay and Pete Carroll.
Waldron will run a similar offense to Luke Getsy, which tells me that with the concepts and language being somewhat similar, it should help the offense from taking a step back. I know that seems hard to do. The difference I see with Waldron though is his ability to change plays after those first scripted 15 to 20 -- one area Getsy was pretty great at. Waldron also uses the middle of the field more than Getsy ever did. The key though will be getting a strong WR2 to pair with DJ Moore. In Seattle, they had DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and then added Jaxon Smith-Njigba this past year.
In 2023, the Seahawks were 12th in Offensive DVOA. The Seahawks were 10th in EPA/play, EPA/dropback and Success Rate %. Shane Waldron helped Geno Smith become a capable quarterback in the NFL too. If you watch his game, I can see Justin Fields finding similar success. Smith does not have the fastest release and is fairly athletic -- nowhere near the athletic level of Fields -- while extending plays. This could be a great pairing whether they stick with Justin Fields or move on in the draft.
Right now, Shane Waldron is in my top 5 options as the Chicago Bears new offensive coordinator. He was a coach I was interested in replacing Matt Eberflus had the Bears fired him. I'd gladly take him as the OC instead.
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