The biggest reason the Chicago Bears hired Shane Waldron in January was simple. They wanted somebody who could get more out of the passing game. Luke Getsy had done a great job with the rushing attack, but the consistent failure to exploit opportunities through the air led to his departure. Waldron had done great things over three years in Seattle, getting productive seasons from Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. He would be the one to inherit the coveted job of helping Caleb Williams transition to the NFL.
Things didn’t start well. The rookie struggled through the first three games, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. At one point, it looked like Waldron was losing control of things. Then Williams and a collection of top offensive leaders met with him to have a frank discussion about the system’s direction. Rather than be stubborn, Waldron listened to their comments and used the information to rework things. Chicago has now won three straight and averaged 30 points per game. When discussing his evolving relationship with Williams, the offensive coordinator made an interesting comparison, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic.
Conversations with Williams and other offensive leaders helped spark the Bears offense. Waldron, though, had no issues bringing that up during one of his weekly news conferences. What was once perceived as a negative now looks like a positive. Waldron said he wants that communication, that relationship. He said he saw that early on with McVay and Goff (years before things soured and Goff was traded).
“In L.A., starting with Sean, he did such a good job of really connecting and getting Jared going there,” Waldron said.
One thing about Goff that became clear in Los Angeles was that he didn’t mind speaking up. Sean McVay was smart enough to accept that and tailor the offense to what his quarterback liked to do. This led to immediate success. Los Angeles made the playoffs in 2017 and reached the Super Bowl in 2018. Goff made the Pro Bowl both years. Shane Waldron hopes to do the same with Williams in Chicago. The key is ensuring the two of them don’t let their egos get in the way of progress. For all their success together, that is what happened with McVay and Goff. Their opposite personalities and faltering communication led to the quarterback’s eventual trade out of town. Waldron won’t have to worry about that. If he can get Williams to a point where he’s making Pro Bowls, he will be the head coach of his own team.
