Bears' season-opener vs. Titans first test for key offseason addition not named Caleb Williams

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- All eyes have been on Caleb Williams since before he officially arrived in Chicago as the new face of the Bears' franchise.

The No. 1 overall pick has sucked up all the oxygen around Halas Hall over the past four months, allowing another marquee offseason addition to fly relatively under the radar in the lead-up to Sunday's season-opener against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.

But while Williams will be the main course Sunday, there's no question that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will also be under the microscope.

The Bears hired Waldron in January after firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and several members of the offensive staff members following a disappointing 2023 season.

Planning to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles assembled an offensive staff led by Waldron that is highly regarded for their ability as teachers.

"Outstanding teacher, great communicator, works well with the players," head coach Matt Eberflus said of Waldron on Wednesday at Halas Hall. "Understands skill sets and how to work with those guys in terms of what they do well. And we're still formulating for that as we go through the season. We'll be doing that the whole time and adjusting as we go. But that's what I like. He's able to adjust. His teaching methods are really clear and concise. And the guys can really pick them up well and fast."

The Bears have entrusted Waldron, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, and passing game coordinator Thomas Brown with developing Willams and overseeing a Bears' offense with the potential to be explosive.

Last season, the Bears' passing offense ranked 29th in passing yards, 23rd in touchdowns, 24th in completion percentage, and 25th in passer rating behind Getsy and quarterback Justin Fields.

With Waldron at the controls of a revamped attack spearheaded by Williams, the expectations are high for the Bears' offense this fall. If Waldron can be as advertised -- an adaptable play-caller who tailors his offense to the tools he's given -- Williams and the Bears should be in good hands.

The Waldron hire was universally lauded in the offseason, but that will mean nothing if the Bears' offense comes out Sunday and spins its wheels against the Titans' remade defense and first-time coordinator Dennard Wilson.

"We expect to execute at a high level in terms of the operation, avoiding any pre-snap penalties, staying ahead of the chains, playing efficient football, being an efficient running football team, being able to operate at a high level," Waldron said Thursday at Halas Hall. "But mostly in terms of expectations, similar to talking about the expectations for Caleb, our expectation as an offense in terms of play style and all that, that starts with hustle, effort, all the intangible things that we know we can control, give that as a starting point for us as an offense and then let the skills take over for the players.”

The Titans' defense presents a unique challenge. With Wilson never calling plays before, the Bears have limited ways to anticipate what Tennessee might throw at Williams. Facing a relative unknown will make Sunday Waldron's first opportunity to showcase his ability to adapt.

"I think, like any first game, there is going to be that element of unknown," Waldron said. "But that goes both ways, right? We know if we can execute at a high level, starting with our fundamentals and our basics play in and play out, that’s going to give us our best chance."

Waldron started his NFL coaching career as an offensive quality control for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. He followed that with stops in Los Angeles and Seattle, where he worked under Sean McVay and Pete Carroll.

Spending time working under some of the NFL's best has shaped Waldron's attitude as he starts his journey as the play-caller for a highly-touted prospect in Williams.

“I can still picture walking out the door in New England. It says manage expectations," Waldron said. "It fits right in here. Ignore the noise, don’t believe the hype, speak for yourself – all the things. All these unbelievable coaches that I’ve been around talked about this.”

Waldron, like everyone, understands the excitement that surrounds Williams as he begins his NFL journey. Chicago has spent 40 years searching for a true franchise quarterback, and Williams is undoubtedly their best chance to vanquish the Bears quarterback curse.

Waldron will play a vital role in ensuring that Williams has a clean takeoff to begin his NFL career and gets on the escalator to stardom, which many believe is his destiny.

If Williams and the Bears' new-look offense struggle this season, the fault will lie at the feet of Waldron and Eberflus.

Handed a "once-in-a-generation" quarterback prospect, three dynamic receivers, a versatile running back, and two pass-catching weapons at tight end, Waldron should have everything at his disposal to craft a lethal attack.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has built a symphony. It's up to Waldron to be the conductor -- a focused leader who gets all the pieces working in concert to create magic.

No pressure, right?

“It’s an amazing word that shows up on so many questions, right, expectations, expectations," Waldron said. "I think there’s external expectations that are totally separate from the way we operate every single day. The expectations for our daily operating is how hard we’re working, what we’re doing, but there isn’t this down the road expectation, right?"

"We’re not going to live in the world of expectations or predictions down the line because I think hard work pays off. That’s our mindset," Waldron reiterated.

Whether Waldron and the Bears choose to let the expectations in is irrelevant. They will arrive Sunday, along with Williams' NFL debut, regardless.

That arrival brings with it hope and possibility. That this time, things will truly be different. This time, there's no rake to step on, no rug to be pulled out from underneath them.

This time, the Bears have the quarterback. At least, that's how the script is supposed to go.

Waldron was hired to make sure it does.

The NFL world will be transfixed on Williams at high noon Sunday, and, by extension, Waldron.

Of all the Bears' marquee offseason additions not named Williams, Waldron is arguably the most vital to the success of the critical early moments of the Williams era.

On Sunday, he'll take center stage just as much as Williams, and you only get one chance to make a first impression.

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