Bears hire Seahawks' Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator: Source

The Chicago Bears are finalizing an agreement to hire Seattle Seahawks' Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, a league source said.

Waldron was one of nine candidates in Chicago's search to replace offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was fired on Jan. 10.

For the past three seasons, Waldron, 44, has served as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator. Before that, he worked with the Rams, serving as the passing game coordinator in three of his four seasons in Los Angeles, and was Washington's offensive quality control coach in 2016.

Waldron appears to be the most popular candidate among those the Bears have interviewed, and with competition heating up between teams to complete their coaching staff, credit to coach Matt Eberflus for getting it done. One of the biggest differences between Waldron and Getsy is the gameplay experience. Waldron spent three seasons playing, including the 2022 season with Geno Smith, who went from draft bust to MVP candidate.

In the 2022 season, Smith completed an NFL-best 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was rewarded with his first Pro Bowl selection in his ninth season.

Waldron also worked with more quarterbacks than Getsy. The list includes Kirk Cousins ​​(Washington, 2016), Jared Goff (Los Angeles, 2018-20), Russell Wilson (Seattle, 2021) and Smith. This history likely appealed to the bears, who prioritized adaptability in their search. Before joining the Bears, Getsy worked almost exclusively with Aaron Rodgers as the Packers' longtime starter.

Waldron's experience with Rams coach Sean McVay should bode well, as this system has proven effective in the NFL and is similar to what the Bears did last season.

Waldron began his NFL coaching career with the New England Patriots as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 and later became the team's head coach. He left the NFL for a bit to work in the United Football League and at UMass before returning to the league in his role with Washington.

The Bears finished 7-10 and last in the NFC North in 2023 under Eberflus. Chicago's offense ranked 20th in the NFL with 323.2 yards per game.

Bears cornerback Justin Fields will enter the fourth year of his rookie contract next season, but Chicago also has the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft via its recent offseason trade with the Carolina Panthers. The athleteChicago's Dane Brugler selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams in his latest mock draft.

The Bears parted ways with several other offensive coaches this offseason, including quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko and wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Tyke Tolbert.

NFL Network first reported news of Waldron's hiring.

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(Photo: Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)