Many responsibilities go into being an NFL offensive coordinator. However, every fan believes it begins and ends with play calling ability. If you can’t put players in the right plays at the right moments, your worth to the team is instantly diminished. Sadly, the Chicago Bears have a rough track record with such coaches. Their list of quality offensive coordinators over the years is small. It is why they fired Luke Getsy this off-season. His replacement will be Shane Waldron, fresh off his three-year run with the Seattle Seahawks. Few know him better than Gerald Everett.
The veteran tight end signed with the Bears earlier this month. Waldron was one of the primary reasons he did so. They share a strong relationship dating back to when Everett got drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and Waldron was his tight ends coach. They spent four seasons together until the coach left in 2021 to become the Seahawks offensive coordinator. Everett signed with them that same year and ended up having his best season to date with 478 yards and four touchdowns. That was when, according to Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com, he became convinced Waldron had true ability as a play caller.
“Shane’s confidence is evident, especially with the places he’s been and the success he’s had,” Everett said. “Every OC, every play caller has a different set of tools and they’re able to deploy them in different ways. When I was at the Rams and I saw how Shane would isolate me and use me in ways that I wasn’t used in college and I was actually productive with him, that’s when I really became a big fan of Shane. And he’s an even better person off the field and away from the facility. He’s a real guy, and it only makes you want to play for guys like that.”
“I think they’re gonna get what they bargained for,” Everett said. “I think it’s gonna be a good situation this year. I think we’re gonna have a lot of production. We’re gonna have a lot of cohesion in our room. The sky’s the limit for us — especially with Shane calling the plays.”
Waldron is well-equipped to prove Gerald Everett right.
Unlike many previous offensive coordinators, he will go into his first year with a terrific setup. GM Ryan Poles has pieced together a roster that is enviable for other NFL teams. He signed D’Andre Swift in free agency and traded for Keenan Allen from Los Angeles. That, along with pairing Everett with Cole Kmet, gives the Bears a deep and talented array of weapons for Waldron to use. If they can get the quarterback selection right next month, this offense has a chance to be something truly special.
It’s nice to hear a player speak glowingly about an offensive coordinator for his play calling prowess for once. That wasn’t the case with the guys who came before Waldron. Getsy had zero experience doing before getting to Chicago. Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor didn’t have stellar track records either. Gerald Everett knows what the good ones look like. He saw it with Sean McVay in Los Angeles and again with Waldron in Seattle. If the Bears let him be the mad scientist he’s always been, things should get exciting.
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