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After a tough stretch that saw the Chicago Bears’ offense struggle and led to the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Caleb Williams expressed confidence in the support of his teammates. Reports had surfaced suggesting that some veteran players wanted backup Tyson Bagent to start at quarterback, but Williams said on Wednesday that he feels backed by his teammates.
“I think those guys are good, easy. We talk about it,” Williams said. “I think I got full support from them. I’ve gotten texts or calls or people coming up to me, with this situation that just happened, and saying, ‘We got your back, we’re with you.’ You know, things like that and ‘Let’s go.’ That kind of mindset and attitude has been what it’s been this past couple days. And that’s kind of what it’s only been.”
Struggles and Stats
Williams’ performance has dipped over the past three losses to the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots. The rookie, who led the league with the highest QBR (88) during wins in Weeks 5 and 6, now ranks 32nd during the Bears’ recent losing streak. Since Week 8, he ranks 32nd in completion percentage (50.5), is tied for 31st in passing touchdowns (0), and is last in yards per attempt (4.9) and sacks taken (18).
“You got to have support for him, no matter what,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “He’s going out there, busting his butt, trying to learn everything at once, and the defenses are throwing a lot at him. So, you can’t really be mad at him. You just got to still back him. Whatever he’s doing, he’s going to get better at, and we’re with him.”
Coaching Changes and Reactions
Coach Matt Eberflus acknowledged that players had voiced their frustrations about the offense but denied that anyone had asked for a change at quarterback or coordinator. He stated that the decision to fire Waldron was his own.
“They just want to do more,” Eberflus said. “They want to be more productive. More effective. Score points for our football team. Just do more as a group and then more individually in terms of helping the group. It was always in a winning way. A respectful way. It was always in that light. And to me it was really, really good to see that they really wanted to get better. And it just didn’t happen in a timely fashion.”
Eberflus confirmed that Williams will start in Sunday’s game against the 6-3 Green Bay Packers but didn’t commit to keeping him as the starter for the rest of the season.
“I would just say that we’ll look at everything week to week,” Eberflus said when asked whether benching Williams is off the table. “You always do that, what’s best for the football team.”
Brown’s Leadership Style
Eberflus promoted former passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to offensive coordinator to shake things up. He cited a need for more “creativity” and believes the offense can see “significant” improvement quickly.
“That’s what we’re looking for — significant change and efficiency,” Eberflus said. “We want an efficient, effective offense from the run game to the screen game to the play-action pass, drop-back pass, from A to Z. I know if we put our minds together and everybody works together, we’ll get that done.”
Moore called Waldron’s firing “shocking,” especially after players had been voicing their frustrations for weeks. Wide receiver Keenan Allen provided a candid take on what went wrong under Waldron.
“I’d probably say [he’s] too nice of a guy,” Allen said. “I think OTAs, training camp, we kind of fell into a trap of letting things go, of not holding people accountable, and obviously those things get into a really slippery slope.”
When asked what might change with Brown in charge, Allen said, “Different personality.” I think he’s more of a ‘don’t take bulls—‘ type of guy. Won’t accept it either, so see how that goes.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
