The Chicago Bears fired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from their OC position on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

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Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The moves come with the Bears (4-5) mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense in a free fall after an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Waldron spent the previous three seasons as the OC for the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll. Waldron was not brought back after the Seahawks moved on from Carroll in January, and landed with the Bears shortly after.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that changes were coming in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England at Soldier Field, though he wasn’t ready yet to announce them. He said the decision on whether to retain his offensive coordinator would be “mine alone.”

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said Tuesday in a statement. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.

Waldron lasted just nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was let go after two seasons. Getsy was subsequently hired as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator and fired in November.

The Bears rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring. Chicago has gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. It’s been 23 consecutive possessions without a TD for the Bears since they scored in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when they lost on a Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels. Williams was sacked a whopping nine times against New England, which came in tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.

The offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives in the three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears won three in a row prior to their off week, and Williams and the offense looked like they were finding their rhythm, even if they were doing it against struggling teams.

Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during that run. In the past three games, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed just 48 of 95 passes without a TD.

Williams has often been under siege behind an offensive line that has played poorly and been hit hard by injuries. He has also hung onto the ball too long at times, rather than check down or throw it away to avoid a sack.

Waldron, meanwhile, seemed to abandon the run in some games. He was also urged by players to coach the team harder following a loss at Indianapolis in Week 3.

The Bears then went on their winning streak and headed into their bye with a 4-2 record. They’ve unraveled since then, and the schedule is about to get tougher. Six of the final eight games are against the NFC North, starting with Green Bay’s visit on Sunday.

The recent struggles have also turned up the heat on Eberflus, with fans chanting “Fire ‘Flus!” during the New England game. Chicago is 14-29 in his 2 1/2 seasons. It’s not what the Bears envisioned after going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year.

General manager Ryan Poles gave the offense a big makeover in the offseason.

The Bears cleared the way to draft Williams by dealing Justin Fields to Pittsburgh. They made a blockbuster trade for a playmaking receiver for the second year in a row, acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers after sending the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore. Chicago got the Panthers’ 2024 first-rounder in that deal for Moore and used it to take Williams.

The Bears also added running back D’Andre Swift and veteran Gerald Everett to form what looked like a potent tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. But the offense hasn’t come together the way the Bears hoped.

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The Seattle Mariners and second base have been in an adversarial relationship for the last six years.

Ever since the Mariners traded Robinson Cano to the New York Mets on Dec. 3, 2018, there’s been several attempts to find his replacement, to no avail.

Kolten Wong, Adam Frazier and Jorge Polanco are just a few players who’ve suited up for Seattle in efforts to fill the All-Star-sized gap left by Cano’s departure.

The Mariners’ ceaseless struggles at second base have the team in a tough spot in 2025, with first base and third also in need of improvement.

A recent article from MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer said that the club’s No. 2 prospect Cole Young is Seattle’s long-term plan at second, but he likely won’t factor into the team’s Opening Day roster for 2025. Kramer also noted the caveat that Young is expected to play with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, and could still receive a call-up at some point in 2025.

A report from MLB Network’s MLB insider Jon Morosi also said that Seattle has “closely evaluated” Korean Baseball Organization player Hye-Seong Kim, who will be posted and available to sign with an MLB squad. Kim plays second base and shortstop. MLBTradeRumors projects him to earn a three-year, $24 million deal in free agency.

The Mariners also have in-house options such as Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore who could play second base.

Kim would make sense for Seattle to go after. He’s a cheap international free agent with solid and consistent contact, has speed and is a decent defender. He hit .326 with 11 home runs and 75 RBIs and stole 30 bases in 2024 with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes.

He would also (likely) be cheaper than other options on the open market like Gleyber Torres . The Mariners would also avoid giving up prospects in a trade for another second baseman like Nico Hoerner of the Cubs.

But it would also create an interesting scenario of 2025 and the (projected) two seasons after.

Kim’s introduction to the roster could also lead to several hard decisions.

Barring a completely underwhelming showing in spring training and early in the season, Kim would be the starting second baseman for 2025.

It would also leave Bliss in no man’s land. The former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect showed flashes of great potential and surprising power for someone of his stature (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) in his 33 games played in 2024. Moore, who just won the first Gold Glove of his career, will be making roughly $3.9 million in 2024 before hitting free agency in 2025 according to Spotrac.

Bliss has two more years of team control under pre-arbitration in 2026 and 2027. It’s unlikely the team keeps Moore around past 2025. If Young is the long-term solution and Kim is the team’s starting second baseman in 2025, one has to wonder how long Seattle keeps Bliss on the roster. His potential could definitely make him an intriguing piece in a trade package.

But then there’s another question of what happens to Kim when Young is ready.

Team captain and starting shortstop JP Crawford is under contract through 2026. Team President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto was confident in the former Gold Glover’s ability to bounce back after an injury-plagued and disappointing 2024. Given Crawford’s status in the clubhouse and in the community as a leader, it’s unlikely the team would move on from him before his contract expires.

But that would still be two years away. And the team still has two top 100 prospects in Colt Emerson and Michael Arroyo that both play shortstop.

This could create a potential log jam for 2025 and beyond. But in the interim, the team has to sort through what it has first.

Assuming Kim’s skills translate to the major league level, then the team will be in a good position for 2025. And if it doesn’t, then the Mariners have Bliss, Moore and even Leo Rivas to fall back on.

But if Kim is able to translate his KBO production to the MLB level, then Seattle will have two solid contact hitters with speed on the basepaths in Kim and outfielder Victor Robles.

Kim will also be 26 on Jan. 27 and, assuming he does get the projected three-year deal, he’ll still be under 30 years-old.

Kim would be a valuable addition to the Mariners. As to the potential logjam he’d create, there’s worse problems to have.

FULL LIST OF MARINERS OUTGOING MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS: The Seattle Mariners have a litany of minor league free agents, including several interesting names. CLICK HERE

YOUNG UNLIKELY TO FACTOR INTO MARINERS OPENING DAY PLANS: A top Seattle Mariners prospect is unlikely to factor into the team’s starting second base position for Opening Day, per a report from MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. CLICK HERE

SATURDAY MARKS THE ANNIVERSARY OF ICONIC HIRE: Saturday marked the 32-year anniversary of the hiring of Lou Piniella as Seattle Mariners manager, marking the beginning of the most successful period in franchise history. CLICK HERE

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