CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday just nine games into his tenure directing an offense for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears announced they will promote passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to OC and play caller, a move made with the hope of pushing the development of Williams forward and rejuvenating an offense that ranks 30th in the NFL with 277.7 yards per game.
The move comes in the wake of the Bears’ 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday at Soldier Field that dropped them to 4-5. The offense managed just 142 yards, went 1 for 14 on third down and extended its streak without a touchdown to eight quarters and 23 drives in the game.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus promised changes to the offense Monday at his usual news conference at Halas Hall, but wasn’t ready to announce the dismissal of Waldron then. The Bears made it official Tuesday morning.
Both Eberflus and Brown are expected to address reporters Wednesday.
“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.”
Brown joined the Bears this offseason as the passing game coordinator after one season as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and then-rookie quarterback Bryce Young. He called plays in two separate stints in 2023. Panthers coach Frank Reich gave him the duties for three games midseason, but then took them back. Brown then took over play calling again when Reich was fired in late November.
Brown spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay. He worked with tight ends and running backs and was named assistant head coach for his final two seasons there.
Brown, a former Georgia running back, also served as a college offensive coordinator at Miami from 2016-18.
“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset,” Eberflus said. “I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players.”
Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus hired Waldron in January to replace the fired Luke Getsy after interviewing at least nine candidates for the open position. Brown was among that group. So was current Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Liam Coen.
Waldron came to the Bears with three years of experience calling plays as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator, where he coached quarterbacks Russell Wilson and later Geno Smith in his Comeback Player of the Year season. Before that, Waldron spent four seasons with the Rams, the final three as passing game coordinator. He began his career with the New England Patriots, and he rose under coaching greats Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and McVay.
Upon hiring Waldron, Eberflus pointed to creativity, adaptability, teaching prowess and passion for the game as some of his draws. Waldron then became a key part of the Bears draft process as they prepared to select Williams No. 1 overall two months later.
Along with Williams, the Bears also added wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift and rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze in the offseason to a group that included wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet. The collection of talent boosted hope that the offense would rise above its 2023 production under Getsy, which ranked 20th with 323 yards per game but 27th with 182 passing yards per game.
But that hasn’t happened. The output of Waldron’s offense lagged behind the production of the 2023 Bears in total offense, rushing and passing offense, third-down efficiency and sack rate.
“We’ve got to find the continuity there,” Eberflus said after Sunday’s game. “Find the structure that we need, the winning formula we need to score points.”
Williams’ regression over the Bears’ three-game losing streak is the most concerning of recent developments with the offense.
After a breakout two-game stretch against the Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in Weeks 5 and 6, Williams has completed 50.5% of his passes for 468 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and 18 sacks in the last three games. The Bears have scored 27 total points in that stretch.
Williams had his worst game against the Patriots, when behind an offensive line missing three starters to injury, he was sacked nine times.