Shane Waldron was interviewed by the Patriots and Saints; Bears’ OC is moving to assemble staff
On Monday, the Bears selected Shane Waldron to be their offensive coordinator, and they made the announcement today. Chicago made the move after Waldron attracted a lot of attention in other places.
Waldron was being pursued by three other teams, or they planned to be. Before he committed to the Bears, the three-year Seahawks offensive lineman had a meeting with the Saints and Patriots, as reported by SI.com’s Albert Breer and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.com. Breer also said that Waldron was on the Raiders’ offensive coordinator’s radar. Waldron accepted the Saints’ request for an interview last week.
It’s unclear how serious Waldron was about joining New England or New Orleans, but it’s noteworthy that Chicago was able to sign him. The former play-caller for the Seahawks is receiving an immediate second chance from the Bears, but this opportunity will come at an uncertain time in their history. With the Bears having the opportunity to either make a No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1947 or trade it for a second straight year, Waldron would seem set to mentor one of Justin Fields or Caleb Williams. It’s interesting to accept a job in these circumstances, and one might wonder what information was discussed in Bears OC meetings.
In any case, Luke Getsy is being replaced by Waldron as Chicago’s play-caller. He’ll do it for a coach who is expected to be fired before the season even begins. Waldron is joining a Bears team that had been rumored to be considering a change after two seasons, but Matt Eberflus prevented a firing. The Saints have a similar configuration, with Dennis Allen starting the same position despite two seasons below.500. After Bill O’Brien left to take a position as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, the Patriots and Saints are both still searching for a play-caller.
Bengals quarterback coach Dan Pitcher and Rams quarterback coach Zac Robinson have met with the Patriots and Saints. The Raiders are also considering both. Teams were naturally interested in meeting with Waldron, who is yet another former assistant to Sean McVay, to advance in the ranks after the Seahawks survived despite trading the greatest quarterback in franchise history (Russell Wilson).
Waldron is relocating to take up a few spots on the offensive staff of the Bears. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, he is setting up interviews with Chad Morton, Sanjay Lal, and Kerry Joseph for Bears positions. Since joining the Seahawks in 2014, Morton has held the position of run-game coordinator for the group. In the 2020s, Lal already had two enjoyable seasons with the Seahawks, the most recent of which he spent as wide receivers coach from 2022 to 2023. During Waldron’s tenure, Joseph has served as Seattle’s assistant quarterbacks coach. The Seahawks, who are seeking a new head coach for the first time since 2010, did not prevent Waldron from making lateral moves and are allowing their assistants to look for work elsewhere.
