Bears fire embattled OC Waldron amid struggles
Written by I Dig SportsShane Waldron has been fired as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator less than 10 months after being hired for the job, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The firing came one day after head coach Matt Eberflus promised "changes" and "adjustments" for the struggling Bears, adding that "everything is on the table."
Waldron has come under heavy scrutiny in Chicago due to the offense's overall performance and the recent struggles of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears (4-5) have lost three straight games, scoring a total of just 27 points over that stretch, and are averaging just 277.6 yards per game this season, the third-lowest in the NFL.
Waldron, 45, was hired by the Bears on Jan. 23 after spending the previous three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Eberflus said during the hiring process last winter that the Bears were looking for a "great teacher" at the offensive coordinator post, likely anticipating using the No. 1 overall draft pick on a quarterback.
In Sunday's home loss to the New England Patriots, Williams completed 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 120 yards, his lowest passing output since throwing for 93 yards in his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans. Collectively, Chicago's offense was 1-of-14 on third down (7%), its worst mark since 2012.
Williams was also sacked nine times by the Patriots, which brings his total from the past three games to 18. During Chicago's recent losing streak, Williams has logged his three highest-pressure-percentage games of his career.
Chicago's offensive struggles have been magnified in three straight losses to the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and Patriots. The Bears rank near the bottom of the NFL in points scored (24th), yards per carry (28th), yards per pass (30th), total yards (30th), third downs (31st) and yards per play (31st).
ESPN's Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.