After much speculation, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been fired.
The team announced the decision Tuesday morning, saying Waldron has been "relieved of his duties," just hours after head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters "adjustments and changes" would be made.
“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense," Eberflus said in a statement. "This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward."
Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown will step into the role.
“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.
Waldron, hired by the Bears from the Seattle Seahawks prior to the season, has come under increased scrutiny for his playcalling, especially as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled and as the team has been unable to take advantage of weaker opponents in recent games.
The Bears currently sit at 4-5 on the season and have the NFL’s hardest schedule for the remainder of the season.
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When asked point-blank if Waldron would still be on staff against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Eberflus said Monday the decision-making process remains ongoing.
“The process of that, we’re going through that right now,” he said at the time. “All those adjustments and changes and things that we’re gonna do, we’re still in the evaluation phase of that.”
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The Bears have not scored an offensive touchdown in their last two games, the first time they’ve gone back-to-back games without an offensive score since the 2004 season. They only scored one offensive touchdown against the Washington Commanders and have been outscored 66-27 across three straight losses.
The Bears have also allowed six or more sacks in each of their last two games, the first time they’ve done so in the last 31 seasons, according to Fox Sports.
Williams, who threw for four touchdowns in the team’s Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since, having averaged 156 passing yards and posting a completion percentage of 50.5% in his last three games.
He also has been sacked 18 times, and after rushing for 47 yards against Washington, Williams has 20 yards on six carries in the team’s last two games.
As things stand, the Bears have the league’s third-worst offense in terms of yards per game, averaging just 277.7 yards of offense so far this season. The Las Vegas Raiders, who are just ahead of the Bears in that category, recently fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who led Chicago’s offense last season.
The Bears averaged 323.2 yards per game on offense under Getsy’s leadership in 2023, right around the middle of the pack in the NFL.
Have the Bears fired a coordinator midseason?
Since 1970, the Bears had not fired an offensive coordinator midseason, but they have changed offensive coordinators six times in the last 10 seasons, with no coordinator lasting longer than two years.
In fact, the last Bears offensive coordinator who was employed for more than two seasons was Ron Turner, who worked for five seasons under former head coach Lovie Smith between 2005 and 2009.
Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned during the 2023 season, but the team hasn't fired a coordinator midseason on the defensive side of the ball.
