Shane Waldron became the new offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears earlier this week. Once that happened, the work started on filling out the rest of his offensive staff. In addition to Luke Getsy, the Bears had also fired their quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers coaches. With the likelihood of drafting a new quarterback high this spring, that first job felt like an important one. Unsurprisingly, Waldron ended up going with somebody he knew and trusted.
Chicago came to terms with Kerry Joseph as their new quarterbacks coach. It is a fascinating choice. Joseph carved out a tremendous career as a quarterback. He won the World Bowl in NFL Europe. Then, after trying to make it in the league as a safety, he went up to Canada, where he became a major success story in the CFL, winning a Grey Cup in 2007. He transitioned to coaching in 2014, spending time learning from proven offensive minds like Sean Payton, Dirk Koetter, and Todd Monken. Lots of that time was spent coaching at his alma mater, McNeese State.
Finally, in 2020, he earned an assistant position in Seattle. Waldron arrived a year later, promoting him to assistant wide receivers coach. The following season, he became their assistant quarterbacks coach. He is familiar with Waldron’s offense and what it demands from the position. The Bears will even get to see him in action at his new job at the Senior Bowl, where he’s coaching the quarterbacks of the American team.
The Chicago Bears going with Joseph is a calculated risk.
One would think they’d prefer identifying somebody with more experience as they prepare to bring in a young quarterback. Then again, this is something Waldron would be open to. Sean McVay handed him the same job in 2018 despite never having held it before in his career. They went to the Super Bowl that season and had considerable success moving forward. Joseph may be a slight unknown at this level of coaching, but nobody can say he’s unqualified. He played quarterback for almost two decades in two different leagues. He’s watched some great coaches teach the position as well.
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You can never be sure how a guy will handle such an opportunity, but nobody can say Joseph is unprepared. This isn’t a shot in the dark by the Chicago Bears. The guy knows the system, knows the coordinator, and has had several years to hone his craft as a coach. He’s also not afraid to mix it up with big personalities, so coaching somebody like Caleb Williams won’t intimidate him. Having his presence will be an asset as the Bears look to finally get that position figured out.
