Luke Getsy is out as the offensive coordinator and as soon as the Chicago Bears were able to make a hire, they added one of the best options to replace him. I had Klint Kubiak at the top of my offensive coordinator wish list, but Shane Waldron was in the same tier and just behind him. I know plenty of others who had Waldron as their top candidate. Ryan Poles, Matt Eberflus and Kevin Warren just hired a guy in Shane Waldron who checks all of the necessary boxes.
We discussed the offensive coordinator position along with the future of Justin Fields in Chicago at the Halas Huddle last night (recorded before the Waldron news broke this morning).
Shane Waldron checks all the key boxes for the Chicago Bears
Proven success as a play-caller
One of the most important skills we needed to see from the Chicago Bears' new offensive coordinator was previous play-calling experience and success doing it. He is exceptional on early downs and over the three years he was the offensive coordinator in Seattle, the Seahawks ranked 14th, 12th and 22nd in points scored. Shane Waldron actually called the plays in Seattle, unlike glorified offensive coordinators like Matt Nagy in Kansas City or Luke Getsy in Green Bay.
Experience installing a full offense
We were hoping that Luke Getsy could come in and take over the offensive side of the football for the Bears. He was supposed to have full control of installing his vision of an offense while tailoring it to the skill set of his players. That didn't actually happen though and the team struggled often. You saw an offense that relied heavily on running the football. Now, you can expect a slightly more balanced offense whether the team chooses to stick with Justin Fields or move on to Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
The Bears rushed the ball more than every team but the Ravens this season. They had similar results in 2022 too. When it came to passing the ball though, Chicago was 27th in attempts in 2023 and dead last in 2022. Some of that is due to Fields electing to run the ball as opposed to pass, but we can expect more balance from Shane Waldron who threw the ball the 15th most in 2022 and 17th most in 2023. Pete Carroll was in charge of the defense in Seattle and Waldron oversaw the offense — this is exactly what we need to see here in Chicago with Matt Eberflus.
Strong coaching tree
When we look at coaching trees, it seems everyone wants someone from the Kyle Shanahan tree. Sean McVay is another name you hear, but McVay also came from the Shanahan tree. Luke Getsy was indirectly connected through Matt LaFleur, but we saw how that worked out. Well, Shane Waldron has direct connections to three great coaching trees.
Waldron started his NFL career under the guidance of Bill Belichick in New England. Waldron was an operations assistant, scouting assistant, and eventually tight ends coach for the Patriots. Waldron then moved onto Washington where he was the offensive quality control coach under Sean McVay. Shanahan had already left the Redskins at that point, but Waldron followed McVay to Los Angeles in 2017. Waldron was the tight ends coach for one season before becoming the passing game coordinator and QB coach for three seasons. To prove himself, Waldron then left for Seattle with Pete Carrol.
Development at QB
Lastly, and probably the most important, Shane Waldron has had success with multiple quarterbacks — even with different playing styles. Waldron has worked with Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Russell Wilson and most recently Geno Smith. The way he has been able to help revitalize Geno Smith's career has been fantastic. Smith was a cast-off in the NFL, but Waldron was able to help guide him to 4,282 yards in 2022 and 3,624 yards in 2023 — those numbers are great compared to other Chicago Bears quarterbacks.
Could Ryan Poles want Shane Waldron to help bring Justin Fields' career back from the crypt or is he wanting him to pair up with a rookie quarterback instead? I don't see Poles tipping his hand meaning we will have to play the wait and see approach