If you thought things were bad already, they can always get worse. Shane Waldron was just fired as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. That felt inevitable after putting up only three points against New England at home. Everything about the operation seems broken. People wanted him out. Believe it or not, fans and media weren't the first ones to voice this. According to Marc Silverman of ESPN 1000, several players approached Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles about a coordinator change. That is how bad it got. However, it doesn't end there. Caleb Williams was also a topic for some of them.
They want the rookie benched in favor of Tyson Bagent.
The reasoning for this isn't hard to surmise. Since the bye week, Williams has looked lost. He's completing barely half of his passes, averaging under 200 yards per game, hasn't thrown a touchdown, and scored only 27 total points. He also has been sacked 18 times. One source told SM it is also because they may fear the continued beatings will get him injured. They think Eberflus is keeping him in to save his own skin.
Caleb Williams won't be benched.
Keep in mind the quarterback isn't the only one not playing well on that offense. The wide receivers, supposedly the strength of the entire unit, have underperformed as well. This situation is not just about the quarterback. It's everybody. Not too long ago, Williams was playing some really good football. He is capable of it. What has happened over the past few weeks is not irreversible. This revelation feels more about certain veterans fearing for the kid's safety. Whatever the case, the Bears have no plans of doing that. They intend to ride out the storm with Caleb Williams.
That is the decision, for better or worse. Benching him now would not solve anything. Bagent is a backup for a reason. He isn't some magic tonic. The best thing for the franchise is for Williams to try working through these problems. If his confidence is so easily shattered by the recent rough patch, then he was never going to become a franchise quarterback. As for the health concerns, they are valid. Unfortunately, his own competitive spirit and the survival instinct of the head coach make a change unlikely.
