3 Best Coaching Options to Maximize Bears' Justin Fields or Caleb Williams in 2024

The Chicago Bears have a few difficult decisions to make this offseason. The most immediate is to settle on a new offensive coordinator.

Chicago fired coordinator Luke Getsy and much of the offensive staff following the regular season. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday morning that the Bears and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron are in contract negotiations that would make Waldron the Bears' new offensive coordinator.

The second decision involves incumbent quarterback Justin Fields, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft and elite QB prospects like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. The Bears have to decide whether to stick with Fields, who showed tremendous growth in 2023, or reset the clock with a new quarterback, presumably Williams.

Below, we'll examine Waldron's fit, plus two more coordinator candidates who have already been linked to Chicago and who could be well-suited to continue developing Fields or maximize an incoming rookie QB.

Shane Waldron

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 29: Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron of the Seattle Seahawks before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field on October 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is a very intriguing candidate because of the work he did with Geno Smith in 2022.

Smith, who had been a career backup since losing the New York Jets' starting gig in 2014, had a career resurgence last season. While quarterbacks coach Dave Canales—now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator—got plenty of credit for Smith's comeback campaign, Waldron was in charge of the offense.

The argument against Waldron is that Smith regressed a bit in 2023 following Canales' departure. Of course, the 33-year-old wasn't bad, finishing with a 92.1 passer rating and an 8-7 starting record.

In Waldron's three seasons as Seattle's OC, the Seahawks ranked 16th, ninth and 17th in scoring.

Given Pelissero's report Monday morning, Waldron is a sensible choice regardless of whether Chicago sticks with Fields or moves on to a rookie quarterback. He's an experienced coach from the Sean McVay coaching tree who would undoubtedly point the Bears in the right direction in their quarterback development.

Kliff Kingsbury

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SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 14: Kliff Kingsbury of USC looks at the Jumbotron during pregame warmups before a game between University of Southern California and University of Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The Bears have requested an interview with USC senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury. Should Waldron negotiations fall through, Kingsbury is a logical candidate because of his connection with USC and Williams.

If the Bears are willing to move away from Fields and take a chance on Williams at No. 1 overall, Kingsbury could be the perfect coordinator to help develop him—and not just because of the existing relationship.

While Kingsbury failed to find success as the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, he did have some success developing quarterback Kyler Murray.

Murray was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season under Kingsbury, and he was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2020 and 2021. The duo was successful enough that both Murray and Kingsbury received contract extensions after the 2021 season.

The big question with Kingsbury is whether his wide-open collegiate-style offense can find sustained success in the NFL. It was good for stretches in Arizona but lacked consistency. If Chicago is intent on replacing Fields with Williams, though, Kingsbury would be a sensible hire.

Greg Roman

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OWINGS MILLS, MD - JUNE 16: Offensive coordinator Greg Roman of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during mandatory minicamp at Under Armour Performance Center on June 16, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

If the Bears decide to stick with Fields and trade the No. 1 overall pick, former Baltimore Ravens coordinator Greg Roman would be a very logical candidate if Waldron is not hired.

In Baltimore, Roman helped develop Lamar Jackson into the league's preeminent dual-threat signal-caller. Years before that, he did the same thing with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

We saw Fields take some positive steps as a passer in 2023, and he finished with a career-high passer rating of 86.3. He was already established as a scrambler, having rushed for 1,143 yards in 2022.

The biggest knock on Roman is that his passing game left something to be desired in Baltimore. The Ravens replaced him with Todd Monken last offseason, and Jackson is poised to win his second league MVP award as a result.

Of course, it should be noted that when Jackson won his first MVP in 2019, Roman was in his first year as Baltimore's offensive coordinator. Given Fields' skill set, Roman could be the perfect choice if Chicago is staying the course at quarterback.