Free Falling Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown has been promoted to offensive coordinator.

The moves come as the Bears (4-5) are mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense is in freefall following an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams.

Coach Matt Eberflus said Monday: came after the changes 19-3 loss to New England He was at Soldier Field but wasn’t ready to announce it yet. He said the decision on whether to hire the offensive coordinator would be “solely mine.”

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided it would be in our team’s best interest to move in a different direction with our offensive leadership. “This decision was well thought out, conscious and respectful,” Eberflus said in a statement Tuesday. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.

“Thomas has a brilliant attacking mind with experience playing with a collaborative mentality. I look forward to his leadership of our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.

Waldron lasted only nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was fired after two seasons. Getsy was later hired as the offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders and was fired in November.

The Bears rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring. Chicago went consecutive games without scoring a goal for the first time since 2004. The Bears have gone 23 consecutive possessions without a TD since scoring a last-minute touchdown in a Hail loss at Washington in Week 8. Mary walks past Jayden Daniels. Williams was sacked a whopping nine times against New England, which is tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.

The offense has allowed just two touchdowns on 34 drives in three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears had won three in a row before their off week, and Williams and the offense appeared to be finding their rhythm, even if it was against struggling teams.

During that run, Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed just 48 of 95 passes without a TD over the past three games.

Williams is frequently under siege behind an offensive line that plays poorly and is severely affected by injuries. He also held on to the ball for too long at times rather than checking or throwing it to avoid the sack.

Meanwhile, Waldron appeared to give up the run in some games. He was also called for by players to coach the team more rigorously after the loss in Indianapolis in Week 3.

The Bears then continued their winning streak and went out with a 4-2 record. They’ve been unraveling ever since, and the schedule is about to get even tougher. Six of the last eight games will be against the NFC North, starting with Sunday’s visit of Green Bay.

Recent battles have also increased tensions in Eberflus, with fans chanting “Flus Fever!” shouted slogans. during the New England game. Chicago is 14-29 over the 2 1/2 season. This isn’t what the Bears envisioned after going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year.

General manager Ryan Poles made a big change to the offense in the offseason.

The Bears sent Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, clearing the way for Williams to be drafted. For the second year in a row, they made a blockbuster trade for a playmaking receiver. Acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen From the Los Angeles Chargers after sending the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore. Chicago won the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick in the deal for Moore and used it to acquire Williams.

The Bears also added running back D’Andre Swift and veteran running back Gerald Everett, creating a strong tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. But the offense didn’t materialize the way the Bears had hoped.

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