The Chicago Bears made a decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron days before a bout with the rival Green Bay Packers.
While the stats certainly suggest a change was needed, Waldron is merely a symptom. He was not the reason for the offense's ineptitude. He certainly contributed to the problem, but the root doesn't lie there. It doesn't even lie with Matt Eberflus, although he is most likely going to go at the end of the season. It's not that. The Bears have a bigger issue.
The issue? George McCaskey. Not GM Ryan Poles, not the head coach, not the coordinators. It all ties back to George Halas McCaskey, the grandson of the late owner, Papa Bear. The son of Virginia Halas McCaskey is the reason for this ineptitude: he, Mama herself, and the entire front office above the general manager. Long story short, it's ownership.
The Chicago Bears have an ownership issue and that will not change unless it does.
Since George McCaskey became chairman in 2011, the Bears have been an absolute disaster. Why? Simple. The franchise often hires the wrong candidates. No longer does a true alpha or a football mind run the show. It is a milquetoas hire that is often nice and friendly and a good human. Great on the human part, but last we checked, a football coach has to be a strong leader, and the Bears have not had that since Mike Ditka ran the show.
That falls on McCaskey and his friend Ted Phillips. Kevin Warren may have taken over as team president, but everything is still the same with the McCaskeys. They will not fork over the money to hire a proven commodity. Cheapness that would make Mike Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals giggle with glee. Maybe the franchise is cursed? That's quite silly, considering they made the Super Bowl in 2006, but if anyone is truly honest, were the Bears really going to beat Peyton Manning even though Devin Hester took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown? The answer is no. The 2010 NFC Championship was terrible, thanks to BJ Raji's pick-six and Jay Cutler on the sidelines.
But back to Waldron for a moment. Caleb Williams is struggling because A) he tries to make the big play instead of taking what is given, and B) he has ZERO protection up front. You would think that Poles, a former offensive lineman, would devote endless resources to that spot to protect his QB. But it did not happen. Nate Davis is a prime example, and it's useless to spend any words on him.
Nothing will change for the Bears unless change comes from the top on down. It starts with the ownership. Enough with comfort. Get modern and get the right people. Forget what warms your heart. How about winning a Super Bowl? What would Papa Bear say if he saw this right now. Plain and simple, he would DISOWN everybody. It's a real shame, and it doesn't look like the pain for fans in the Windy City will dissappear anytime soon.