Just a week ago, the Chicago Bears parted ways with their former offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron. Since then, new details have emerged about the challenges under Waldron’s leadership, dating back to the team’s OTAs in May. Many current players in the locker room have criticized his approach to practice, claiming he didn’t consistently push them to strive for greatness.
Notably, wide receiver Keenan Allen shared feedback about Waldron’s tenure. On the day Waldron was fired, Allen described him as “too nice of a guy” and elaborated, saying, “During OTAs and training camp, he kind of fell into a trap of letting things slide and not holding people accountable. Those things obviously lead to a slippery slope.”
While such criticism might be dismissed if it came from a single player, multiple sources within the team have echoed similar concerns, painting a broader picture of why Waldron’s time in Chicago came to an end.
Cole Kmet indirectly confirms these reports.
During his weekly podcast, The 85 with Cole Kmet, the Bears’ tight end was asked about the differences he noticed in the team’s offense under new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Kmet didn’t hold back, offering what appears to be a pointed critique of former OC Shane Waldron.
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“He demands a certain standard in terms of the way we practice and operate. I think guys’ really bought into that. At the end of the day, guys’ bought in and that is why you saw a better product on the field.”
Report after report paints a consistent picture of Shane Waldron’s time in Chicago: he struggled with attention to detail, and the players in the locker room never fully embraced his vision. This is typical in the NFL, where players quickly sense whether a coach—or even a teammate—has that “it factor.” Just look at DJ Moore’s performance this week. It’s clear that he and others are more energized and, as Cole Kmet pointed out, have immediately bought into Thomas Brown’s fresh approach to the offense.
Dr M; “losing isn’t a big deal”. I’m sorry but yes, it absolutely is a big deal. Not just for us fans but for players that will remain in 2-3 years, particularly CW. We’ve heard a million times how teams must learn how to win, when during Flus tenure it’s been the opposite and while not all his fault Caleb so far is taught how to lose. Not good. Agreed no Super Bowl this year, who expected that anyway really. It is time for the Bears to expect excellence top to bottom, to insist on it. There will be setbacks… Read more »
@jmscooby: As nice as it would have been to beat the Packers, what this year is about is getting Caleb up to NFL speed without serious injury, as well as the other rookies. The Bears almost certainly aren’t winning the Super Bowl this year, it’s about building for the future. So losing isn’t a big deal, and if it nets us higher draft picks, that’s a good thing. (Of course, we still follow the Herm Edwards rule, “You play … to win … the game.”) @TGena: The coaches have a responsibility to the players to put them in the best… Read more »
The effort on the field is always 100% on the players.
A lot of them: “talk dawg” — but showed “dog.”
Watch some tape.
Yeah, that’s really cool, but we lost that game, too.