Shane Waldron fired: How Bears OC change impacts Caleb Williams, Matt Eberflus

Shane Waldron's time as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator will only last nine games.

The Bears announced Tuesday they had fired Waldron ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Chicago will replace him with 38-year-old passing game coordinator Thomas Brown.

The Bears are making a move, which isn't a surprise. Coach Matt Eberflus revealed Monday after the team's 19-3 Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots that the team was planning to make some changes.

"There’s got to be a change and an adjustment to what we’re doing because we’ve obviously lost three in a row," Eberflus said during a news conference. "But there’s also the sight of, we’re 4-5, haven’t played our division yet, and we’re in the process of starting that this week in a big football game. So, again, just in the process of getting that done."

At the time, Eberflus was asked directly about Waldron's status. He declined to say whether the 45-year-old was still part of the team's staff.

How will Waldron's firing impact the Bears? Here's what to know about it and what might be next in Chicago.

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Why did the Bears fire Shane Waldron?

The Bears fired Waldron after the new hire failed to spark the team's offense during the first half of the 2024 season.

The Bears ranked third-worst in the NFL in yards per game (277.7) and 24th in scoring (19.4 points per game) during the first half of the season. Chicago is in the midst of a three-game losing streak during which it has gone a whopping 23 possessions without scoring a touchdown.

Additionally, rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has gotten off to a slower start than many anticipated. He has taken a league-high 38 sacks and ranks just 28th in passer rating among 34 qualified quarterbacks. His PFF grade of 60.1 is good for just 34th among 40 qualified quarterbacks.

Perhaps the most damning condemnation of Williams' progress? Four rookies qualify for the NFL leaderboard in completion percentage, passer rating, and QBR. Williams ranks last among the group, which includes Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix in all three categories.

All of that led Eberflus to believe that the Bears needed a change in leadership on offense.

"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. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully," Eberflus said in a statement released by the Bears. "I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward."

What Shane Waldron firing means for Caleb Williams

Waldron's firing will essentially be a fresh start for Williams. He will work with Brown the rest of the season and see if the 38-year-old interim offensive coordinator can help him better adapt to the NFL.

Brown's brief stint as an offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers during the 2023 season may not inspire much hope of an immediate bounce-back. The Panthers ranked bottom-two in both points and yards per game during the 2023 NFL season, while No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young struggled immensely to adapt to the professional level.

As such, Brown isn't guaranteed to break Williams out of his slump. At the very least, a change can't hurt the young quarterback too much as he looks to get his footing under him in the second half of his rookie season.

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What Shane Waldron firing means for Matt Eberflus

Eberflus was on the hot seat during the 2023 NFL season. He managed to save his job with a strong finish to the campaign, but many believed he would be on shaky footing if things didn't go well in 2024, especially on offense.

That may explain why Eberflus was quick to move on from Waldron. The 54-year-old may have made the change as a last-ditch hope that Brown can spark Chicago's offense, as coaches on the hot seat often do in an effort to save their jobs.

Eberflus is certainly on the hot seat. He has hired and fired two offensive coordinators, Waldron and Luke Getsy, and neither has panned out. Unless Brown turns out to be a cure-all for Chicago's offensive woes and gets them back in the playoff race, the Bears will probably look for new, offensive-minded leadership who can replace Eberflus and Co. after a middling three-year stint in Chicago.

As such, it appears that the ice underneath Eberflus is growing thin. Waldron's dismissal is a warning sign that a larger change could soon come to Chicago.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Bears firing Shane Waldron impacts Caleb Williams, Matt Eberflus