ESPN Reports Caleb Williams Hated Shane Waldron Even Before Joining Bears

Seth Wickersham of ESPN dropped a bombshell this week with a report about Caleb Williams' rookie season. He confirmed the quarterback did everything he could short of outright revolt to avoid joining the Chicago Bears. He knew their reputation for not developing quarterbacks. For somebody driven to become the greatest of all time, joining such an organization was the antithesis of his goals. However, there were other pragmatic reasons for his concern. It had to do with the coaching staff, specifically Shane Waldron.

It appears he wasn't a big fan of the Bears' new offensive coordinator. He knew this even before they drafted him, which is a glaring spotlight on the team's vetting process.

Caleb Williams wondered aloud to confidants: "Do I want to go there? I don't think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron."...

...The book also sheds light on Williams' tumultuous rookie season, in which both Eberflus and Waldon were fired and the Bears lost 10 straight games.

At times, Williams said he would watch film alone, with no instruction or guidance from the coaches. "No one tells me what to watch," Caleb Williams told his dad. "I just turn it on."

Keep in mind, Waldron was the only coordinator the Bears met twice. They also spoke to Kliff Kingsbury, who worked personally with Williams at USC. The fact a rookie quarterback could assess the situation more effectively than an NFL franchise only reinforces his attempts to avoid Chicago.

Shane Waldron isn't solely responsible for the debacle.

Blame must also fall at the feet of Matt Eberflus. The former head coach showed time and again that he didn't have a firm grasp on the team. His inability to keep players focused on details and not recognizing his young quarterback wasn't being coached properly tells you all you need to know. The man was incompetent and in way over his head. Hiring Shane Waldron was his decision. People blame Poles, but the head coach hires his staff. He misfired on Luke Getsy. Why should we have been surprised he wouldn't recognize that Waldron was fool's gold? Where Williams got his information from is uncertain. He probably started watching game film of Waldron's offense once the Bears hired him. It likely didn't take long to realize he was in trouble.