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After the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron this week, and with their offense continuing to struggle, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had a message for his teammates during their next meeting.
Williams — the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft — apologized “for his role in this,” Jay Glazer reported on “Fox NFL Sunday.”
“What I mean by role in this, he didn’t go up there and say, ‘Oh, I want this guy out,’” Glazer said. “But his role is, ‘Obviously, I’m not playing well enough. If the offensive coordinator got fired, there’s issues for me as well’ — for his responsibility as that quarterback.
“But again, when he did it, a lot of the veterans looked and said, ‘Alright rookie, this is what we want to see.’ Taking accountability, good move on Caleb Williams’ part.”
Waldron was just nine games into his Bears tenure after spending the previous three years as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, but Chicago opted for a spark after managing just 27 points during a recent three-game losing streak — including a dismal 19-3 loss to the Patriots in Week 10, when Williams threw for just 120 yards and was sacked nine times.
Passing game coordinator Thomas Brown earned the promotion to offensive coordinator, and his first challenge will involve figuring out how to help Williams improve his 1,785 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and five interceptions during a mixed rookie campaign.
“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,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said in a statement after firing Waldron, while adding that Brown has experience calling plays.
ESPN Chicago radio host Marc “Silvy” Silverman reported earlier in the week that “a few veteran players requested” that the Bears bench Williams, too, though it’s unclear if that occurred before the team meeting when Williams apologized.
The Bears opened the season 4-2 and were among the early — and the surprising — playoff contenders, but they’ve since lost the three consecutive games entering Sunday’s NFC North rivalry showdown against the Packers at Soldier Field.
And after Green Bay, Chicago will continue a brutal stretch of its schedule by hosting the Vikings before facing the Lions, the 49ers and then the Lions and Vikings again.
By that point, they hope, the decision to fire Waldron and Williams’ accountability will translate to improved results to keep pace with those high-powered offenses.
If not, given the crowded NFC playoff picture, the Bears’ first year in the Williams era might end without a trip to the postseason.
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