The Shane Waldron Hiring Is An Indictment On Justin Fields
On Monday, the Chicago Bears addressed their offensive coordinator position by hiring former Seahawks play-caller Shane Waldron. The move to hire Waldron is being praised as he is viewed as one of the best up-and-coming play-callers in the league, as he is respected for his ability to develop and tutor quarterbacks. Although many Bears fans believe the decision to bring the ex-Seahawks’ coordinator aboard to help Justin Fields, the coach’s background may be troublsome for Fields, given his struggles with Luke Getsy’s office.
Waldron’s Background and Similarities To Getsy Show How The Bears Feel About Fields
Waldron’s background as a coach is tied to Rams’ head coach Sean McVay, who he has worked with for five years before going to Seattle and working with head coach Pete Carroll for the past two seasons. Another former coordinator who shares ties to the McVay offensive scheme is Getsy, as he served as the passing coordinator with the Packers under head coach Matt LaFleur from 2020 to 2021. One of the reasons why Chicago chose to hire Waldron was to keep terminology and other aspects close to the offensive that had been in place the last two seasons.
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During the two seasons with Seattle, Waldron oversaw the resurrection of quarterback Geno Smith, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and had back-to-back seasons of 3,500 passing yards, along with 20 passing touchdowns. The Seahawks’ passing game was unpredictable as the offense incorporated as many pass-catchers as possible. Wide receivers D.k. Metcalf, Tyler Scott, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba were all targeted 90 times or more in 2023 by Smith and fellow quarterback Drew Lock.
The plan to bring in an offensive coordinator who has a similar background from an offensive schematic standpoint shows that general manager Ryan Poles may believe that Getsy had the right idea but had poor execution. Wanting to install an offensive scheme that was similar to one utilized over the past two seasons may lead one to believe that the franchise might not have complete faith in Fields, as he struggled in the system during that time and regressed this season. Although Getsy was hired to develop Chicago’s quarterback in 2022, the opposite occurred despite being given an improved offensive line and a true top-level wide receiver in DJ Moore.
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One of Waldron’s greatest strengths as a coordinator is also one of Fields’ most significant weaknesses, which is quick-timing passing patterns such as slants. Seattle utilized quick and short passes to provide consistency to their offense the past two years. On the other hand, Chicago’s offense was hampered by Fields’ inability to throw with anticipation and timing, especially on short passes. The flaw of not being able to execute on timing throws was one of the reasons why Getsy deployed either deep throws or quick wide receiver screens so frequently for his young quarterback.
The key that Poles may believe in the scheme but not the coordinator could be due to the four games started by undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. When Fields was out due to a thumb injury, Bagent was forced to start, leading to Getsy deploying his offensive scheme in its simplest form. In those four starts, Chicago’s offense not only featured quicker passing-plays but also incorporated more passing targets, something not seen with the other starting quarterback.
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Waldron’s Hiring May Be For Another Quarterback Other Than Fields
If the Bears decide to hold and retain Fields as their starting quarterback for the 2024 season, it will mark the third offensive play-caller the quarterback has worked with in his brief four-year career. With many seeing 2024 as a make-or-break year for head coach Matt Eberflus, it seems unlikely the franchise would risk everything by giving their young quarterback another playbook to learn. Additionally, It appears highly doubtful that Poles would hire a play-caller that has similar ties to Getsy’s scheme, a scheme Fields was negatively vocal about.
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Given Waldron’s success in developing and being a proven tutor for quarterbacks, it appears likely that the Bears will select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the first of their two selections. If Seattle’s former offensive coordinator hired his former quarterbacks coach, Greg Olson, who has over 20 years of coaching experience, Chicago will likely utilize the first overall selection on a signal-caller prospect. Olson has prior experience working with rookie first-round quarterbacks as he worked with the Bears in 2003 tutoring Rex Grossman.
Poles may be looking to create an offensive system that most of Chicago’s current offensive talent is familiar with that would enable a rookie quarterback to come in with ease where veteran players can provide insight for the scheme to lessen confusion. Waldron could add several coaches that he has worked with in Seattle to where they have a plan in place for development and drawback to steps that were taken to help Smith improve at the position in 2022. A system where familiarity is in place for veterans and an offensive coaching staff that has continuity, especially for quarterback development, could be the perfect situation for an incoming rookie.
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The hiring of Waldron is significant as it gives Chicago a proven play-caller with experience in developing quarterbacks, enabling them to play at their fullest potential. With a potential rookie coming in to begin the 2024 season, the Bears could not have made a wiser decision for their offensive coordinator position. With the hiring, it appears likely that Poles understands that the correct passing scheme was in place, but the quarterback may not have been.