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The Chicago Bears recently addressed their offensive struggles by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Waldron had constantly drawn the ire of a Bears' fanbase throughout the season that was hoping to see immense improvement under number one overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams but instead has watched the team remain largely stagnant on that side of the ball throughout the campaign.
Although the schemes certainly didn't help, there's also no denying that Williams hasn't produced at the level the Bears were hoping he would in his highly anticipated rookie season, and now, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is shedding some light on why that may be the case.
“Sources are saying Williams looks rattled — that he has become tentative, trying to avoid mistakes. That has affected fundamentals such as footwork and timing,” reported Fowler.
Fowler also quoted an anonymous AFC executive who has watched Williams up close this season and said that you “can't hold onto the ball in this league, and you can't run around like he does, either.”
Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN remained optimistic that the Bear's recent offensive coordinator switch could help unlock Williams' immense potential.
“Thomas Brown, the Bears' interim offensive coordinator, did some decent things with Bryce Young late last season when he was elevated to the same position after the firing of Panthers coach Frank Reich,” reported Graziano. “He could be good for Williams' short-term development if he can get him in the right situations.”
A frustrating season in Chicago
Another key culprit for the Bears' offensive struggles has been the general ineptitude of their offensive line, which gave up an astonishing nine sacks on Sunday afternoon at home vs the New England Patriots, one of the worst teams in the league.
The Bears also haven't quite seen the production they were hoping to out of newly acquired receivers Rome Odunze, who was drafted in the first round last April, or Keenan Allen, who was brought in from the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, ultimately, the captain of the ship is Williams, and on the rare times where he has had adequate time to scan the field and make plays, he has unfortunately made a habit out of holding onto the ball too long and trying to work some of the magic that may have been OK in college but doesn't translate to the professional level.
The Bears are next slated to take the field on Sunday at home vs the Green Bay Packers.
