Shane Waldron details what relationship with Caleb Williams as rookie progresses
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron details how his relationship with quarterback Caleb Williams is developing.
LAKE FOREST, Ill., — When the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the franchise introduced him at Halas Hall on a rainy Friday afternoon in a media room full of cameras, reporters, and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Waldron stood in the very back of the room, hard to notice, having a clear view of his new rookie quarterback. And he stood in street clothes, with a smile on his face as he listened to Williams answer each question with confidence.
It’s Williams confidence that’s allowed him and Waldron to form a relationship that they hope will be a key factor in breaking the quarterback curse for one of the NFL’s oldest franchises.
“I think anytime you have a pre-existing relationship with somebody, you have a little more trust and understanding of how we’re going to work together,” said Waldron.
Inside the organization, everything is a process. And everyone understands Williams development, spearheaded by Waldron will only be successful if everyone is on the same page. But more than anything, nothing else matters if Waldron isn’t adapting to his rookie quarterback.
As the Bears look ahead to OTA’s and mandatory minicamp, the goal will be to put Williams in a position to run the offense with efficiency. The Bears know they have to temper their expectations during Williams rookie campaign but they do want to see consistent improvement.
“It’s been a cool process,” Waldron said. “He’s an unbelievable human being. Football’s part of what makes him special but there’s a lot more outside that that makes him special as well. Right from the jump you get that initial meeting with someone — ‘All right, this guy’s a pretty cool guy. We can move forward right now.”
Despite being in the infant stages of his relationship with Williams, there is a clear sense of optimism from Waldron as he continues to work with his rookie quarterback.
“With our interactions so far, his ability and desire to accept coaching and keep learning, keep listening has been excellent,” Waldron said. “As he moves forward it’s really more about the operation, building that foundation. The plays, the schemes, those things will happen as we keep building an offense.”
While the 2024 Chicago Bears are far from a finished product, it’ll be Williams and Waldon who lead a successful effort for the offense to ensure that the core around Williams, which includes a handful of established veterans and rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sees success that leads to wins.
“I think for me, the things we’re pouring into him right now is just the understanding of the big picture of the game and all the intricacies and the nuances of, first of all, between college and the NFL and being able to start with that ground floor approach and build that repertoire of his up as we’re going,” said Waldron.
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