NFL: Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron chat during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Caleb Williams knew Chicago Bears offense would fail before No. 1 selection

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Dan Fappiano | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 7:27 PM ET

The Chicago Bears went all-in on Caleb Williams, trading away fellow quarterback Justin Fields before making the former Heisman winner their No. 1 overall pick. But before the Bears selected Williams, the QB was a bit weary of Chicago’s offensive plans.

While the team decided to retain head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears made a switch at offensive coordinator. Shane Waldron was hired after his run with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he was going to be tasked with building an offense around Williams.

The quarterback wasn’t too sure of how those plans would unfold, via Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport of ESPN. After doing some research on his own, Williams questioned if Waldron was the right offensive coordinator to help grow his game.

“A source with direct knowledge of Williams’ predraft process said Williams’ fact-finding mission about his new team soured him on Waldron, who was the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator before joining Chicago in January 2024,” Fowler and Davenport wrote. “Among chief concerns, the source said, were whether personalities would jell and how Waldron would use him.”

‘”Whoever he talked to in Seattle didn’t give him the best reviews,”‘ the source said. Waldron, now on Jacksonville’s staff, declined to comment for this story,” they concluded.

Chicago Bears hit reset button for Caleb Williams

Williams’ assessment of Waldron turned out to be correct. The Bears pulled the plug and fired him after their 4-5 start. Chicago then finished their season ranked dead-last in total offense, averaging just 284.6 yards per game.

Williams set a pair of rookie passing records for yardage (3,541) and touchdowns (20). However, he failed to live up to his No. 1 pick status. Especially with No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels going on to win Rookie of the Year. While Williams had flashes, he was unable to string together consistent high level play.

There are certainly things he’ll need to improve on, but the coaching staff did Williams no favors. That was evident when the Bears made Matt Eberflus the first head coach ever to be fired midseason in Bears history. Then, Chicago managed to hire Ben Johnson as his replacement, arguably the best offensive mind in the NFL.

The pressure is now on Williams’ shoulders. With a new staff and roster in place, the quarterback has been put in a place to succeed. He was able to sniff out the problem with Waldron beforehand. But now, there are no more excuses should the former No. 1 overall pick not live up to the hype.