NEWSLETTER
One of the most interesting and random videos popped up over the weekend as the folks at the QB Collective shared throwback footage of quarterback prospect Caleb Williams working out with Shane Waldron in 2017.
What a tangled web football weaves for us. And while it often connects in the oddest ways, I can’t say I saw this one coming:
Yes, we’re talking about the same Caleb Williams who is seen by many as QB1 in the upcoming NFL Draft. Back then, Williams was just a high school prospect. And, yes, we’re talking about the same Shane Waldron who became the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator back in January. In 2017, Waldron was coaching tight ends for the Los Angeles Rams.
Caleb Williams and the Bears connection
Full disclosure: This would have been a point in Bullets had I not connected the dots midway through typing. Follow along for a minute.
Back in February, league insider Tom Pelissero was chopping it up with Rich Eisen, and the two were talking about the upcoming NFL Draft and potential quarterback movement. And when it came to the Bears, Pelissero dropped a notable quote that helps tie this all together:
“The Bears are going to be sitting there in a position where you’ve brought in new offensive staff that certainly appears to be geared toward bringing in a Caleb Williams. Caleb has certainly grown up in, and would like to be, in a system that resembles the type of offense Shane Waldron runs.”
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I can’t believe we have footage of new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron coaching up potential Bears draft pick Caleb Williams dropping not too long after we get NFL Network Tom Pelissero saying Caleb Williams would like to play in a system resembling something Shane Waldron runs. My. Mind. Is. BLOWN.
To be clear, I’m not saying that the Chicago Bears hired Shane Waldron to run their offense because he had a prior connection to Caleb Williams. Although, I imagine that didn’t hurt his candidacy. But what I am suggesting is that the Bears, in an attempt to create a quarterback-friendly environment, hired an offensive coordinator who has recent hands-on experience working with a young, developing quarterback (as well as a veteran who needed some fine-tuning). And I imagine that Waldron might’ve brought up his previous work with Caleb at some point during the process.
The NFL Draft is in 52 days. And each day that passes has me feeling like we’re closer to what seems like an inevitable pairing of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. If that is how the cookie crumbles, then I am going to use this sentence as a reminder that there is so much this franchise has to do in order to get things lined up for Williams. But for what it’s worth, I’d say the Bears are off to a good start with their offensive coordinator hire.
