It sure sounds like Bears players led the effort to get Shane Waldron fired

At long last, the Chicago Bears relieved Shane Waldron of his duties as the team's offensive coordinator. Frankly, this move was beyond overdue, even though they hired him for the position less than a year ago.

However, head coach Matt Eberflus ostensibly wasn't the mastermind behind the decision, if reporting from ESPN's Marc "Silvy" Silverman is any indication.

Per Silverman, who spoke with "a few people with knowledge of the situation," Bears players confronted Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles about Waldron.

Not only did members of the Chicago locker room approach the brain trust about their now ex-play-caller, but some "veterans" have requested a quarterback change.

It sure sounds like Bears players led the effort to get Shane Waldron fired

Regardless of which Bears members spoke out, the fact that Eberflus needed a push to fire Waldron highlights his ineptitude. Chicago's offense has been a rollercoaster — with mostly downs — all season. Yet, the former seemed unremittingly set on seeing things through with the latter.

The Bears' offense has been one of the worst scoring units in the NFL through 10 weeks of the 2024 campaign. They're 31st in yards per play (4.3), 30th in yards per game (277.7) and 24th in points per game (19.4).

Moreover, Chicago's 4.1 weekly sacks allowed is second to last, though that's presumably more of an offensive line issue than a product of Waldron's efforts. Bears rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams has regressed mightily, largely due to the lack of protection up front. Still, the recently dismissed offensive coordinator didn't necessarily help matters.

Why Eberflus was seemingly infatuated with Waldron remains unclear. Nonetheless, it's another indictment on the sideline general, further bolstering the case for his inevitable fate.

Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown will handle play-calling responsibilities in Waldron's stead. 2024 marks his first season in Chicago. He served as the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator last year, previously spending 2020-22 with the Los Angeles Rams in various roles.

Brown is a former NFL running back who spent his collegiate playing days at Georgia, overlapping with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Los Angeles franchise passer spoke highly about his one-time teammate's promotion.