The Chicago Bears pulled a slight surprise in 2022 when they hired Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator Luke Getsy to become their new offensive coordinator. He had zero prior experience on the job, making him a calculated shot in the dark. While he’d gotten to learn at the right hand of Matt Lafleur, Getsy wasn’t bringing Aaron Rodgers with him. He’d have to figure out how to make the offense functional with a different type of quarterback. It didn’t work out. While Chicago had a strong ground game in 2022 and 2023, they never managed to blossom through the air.
As a result, Getsy was fired after the end of last season. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus acknowledged the lack of development as a primary reason for the decision. What people apparently missed was a wrinkle that went back to the decision to hire him in the first place. Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times mentioned it in his latest column while discussing Poles’ work at rebuilding the team.
“Poles started without a first-round pick, which would’ve been No. 5 that year, and had little choice but to unload future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack. He didn’t dig that hole for the Bears, but he had to climb out of it.
He made his own mistakes, too. Trading the No. 32 overall pick for Chase Claypool was highly regrettable. The Bears would be better off if they still had Roquan Smith, who has made All-Pro twice since Poles unloaded him. Poles indirectly acknowledged the team rushed its hire of former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.”
People forget that Chicago only met with two potential candidates for the offensive coordinator job. Getsy was one. Longtime coordinator and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton was the other. Remember that Eberflus was hired on January 27th. Getsy arrived on January 30th, only three days later. In hindsight, that decision was absolutely rushed. Conversely, he was fired on January 10th this year. Shane Waldron, his replacement, didn’t arrive until the 23rd, almost two weeks later. During that span, they interviewed at least half a dozen candidates.
It appears the Bears learned their lesson. They wouldn’t make the same mistakes they did with Luke Getsy. The next search was steady and more methodical. It also seemed to focus on candidates with proven experience, especially regarding quarterback development. Waldron checked both boxes. Early signs indicate the organization made a solid choice. Getsy seems to have landed on his feet in Las Vegas. Still, his tenure serves as a cautionary tale. Never, ever rush important decisions.
