When the Bears hired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, many took it as a sign that Matt Eberflus would stay for the duration of his four-year contract with the Bears. There were rumors that Waldron would have multiple opportunities to choose from on the open market, so the logic was that Waldron wouldn't choose a job where the head coach would already be on the hot seat.
However, in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago last week, NFL insider Albert Breer said he doesn't believe Waldron's hiring offers any clues about Eberflus' job security. Instead, he looks at how the Bears' quarterback will play in 2024 — whoever that player may be.
“A lot will depend on what things look like over the next four, five, six years,” Brier said. “This is where decisions will be made.
“I think Ryan Bowles and Matt Eberflus have done a really good job in year two and the trajectory of the program is pointing up. But, you know, there's the team president in Kevin Warren, who didn't hire them. So, if things get funky next year, it's definitely… You can see Kevin Warren moving forward. I don't know that having Shane Waldron and the fact that you hired Shane Waldron is going to do much to change that.
So why would Waldron take the Bears job if there's a chance he'll be looking for another job again next year?
“I think the one thing the Bears did that was really smart is they got ahead of the market,” Breer said. “A lot of other teams went through a longer process — Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England — and by being aggressive and by identifying who they wanted and by going to get it, I think they did as well as anyone else. I mean, Shane Waldron was — I don't want to use The word desirable, but it was desirable. And I think if I leave this for another four, five, six days, there's a very good chance that Shane Waldron will have three or four offers.
“In the current situation, they were able to make him decide. One in the hand or two in the bush? And he obviously took the one that was in his hand.
The Bears fired former offensive coordinator Luke Getty shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. From there they opened a vast search for a new OC that included at least nine names. But as Breer reported, the Bears moved quickly and hired Waldron within a few weeks.
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