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The Chicago Bears are averaging less than 20 points per game and haven’t scored an offensive touchdown in two weeks, leading to questions about offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s status.
Waldron, hired by the Bears from the Seattle Seahawks prior to the season, has come under increasing 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.
Here’s where things stand with their offensive coordinator after Sunday’s loss.
What did Matt Eberflus say about Waldron on Monday?
When asked point-blank if Waldron would still be on staff against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Eberflus said the decision-making process remains ongoing.
“The process of that, we’re going through that right now,” he said when asked if Waldron would be on the staff this week. “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’ struggles, broken down
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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 Commanders, and have been outscored 66-27 in 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.
Caleb 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 under Getsy’s leadership in 2023 averaged 323.2 yards per game on offense, right around the middle of the pack in the NFL.
Have the Bears fired a coordinator midseason?
Since 1970, the Bears have 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.
Is there another option for the Bears besides firing Waldron?
When the Bears parted ways with Williams, Eberflus took over playcalling duties, but that wouldn’t be the case this time around. The Bears would have to give playcalling duties to one of their position group coaches on the offensive side of the football, though there’s not been reporting on who would take over.
The team could also remove playcalling duties from Waldron without firing him.
