Bears to hire Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator: reports
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the second half of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lumen Field on September 25, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears are nearing an agreement to make Shane Waldron the team's next offensive coordinator, according to reports.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweeted Monday morning that the Bears are "working towards a deal" with Waldron who has spent the past three seasons in the same role at Seattle.
The 44-year-old would succeed Luke Getsy who was fired earlier this month after two seasons leading the Bears' offense.
Waldron comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree. He spent four seasons working with McVay while on staff with the Los Angeles Rams from 2017 to 2020.
In the last two seasons, Waldron was in charge of calling plays for a Seahawks offense with Geno Smith after Seattle moved on from Russell Wilson. In 2022, Smith threw for over 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year honor.
Smith’s one season in 2022 would have broken multiple Bears single-season passing records.
It would have broken franchise records for single-season passing yards, passing touchdowns and pass completions. Smith also completed 69 percent of his throws, which would be the best completion percentage in Bears history for quarterbacks who have started at least 10 games in a season.
During that season in 2022, Waldron’s offenses ranked 9th in the NFL in points per game. Seattle ranked 16th and 17th in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Even in the years Waldron’s offenses didn’t rank in the top 10 of the league in points per game, they were one of the best teams in the league in terms of giveaways. In 2023, Seattle had the fifth-least amount of giveaways in the league.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.