The Chicago Bears faced a ton of scrutiny in 2024. Specifically, their coaching staff was under fire, as they were made the public enemies of Chicago for failing No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Several reports came to light after the season came to a close, specifically about former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron refusing to watch film with Williams. However, a recent long-form report from Tyler Dunne of Go Long featuring several sources who were in the building last season tells the other side of the story. The over-arching theme of the piece is that the staff bent over backwards for Williams.
"Coaches deleted words out of the play calls," Dunne writes. "That didn’t help. Coaches tried going no-huddle to limit the number of times Williams would need to regurgitate those play calls. This wasn’t sustainable. All while a convoy of assistants nursed the rookie in every way imaginable. In earsplitting unison, they insist they’ve never seen a quarterback receive more help than Caleb Williams."
One Bears assistant also raced to defend Waldron in specific.
“Shane went overboard in trying to help him,” the coach said. “Shane tried to, well, ‘This is what they did at USC.’ In my mind, I’m looking at it, ‘It’s the NFL. Who gives a shit what they did at USC?’ He was bending over backwards trying to figure out the best way to reach him."
You can find the first two parts of the three-part series on Go Long
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