New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers heaped praise on the Bears’ offense ahead of the season, but is now left eating his words after Chicago fired its offensive coordinator
Aaron Rodgers’ praise of the Chicago Bears’ offense has not aged well (Image: Getty Images)
Aaron Rodgers’ offseason praise of the Chicago Bears’ offense has aged like sour milk after the team parted ways with OC Shane Waldron ahead of their NFC North clash with the Green Bay Packers.
On the heels of a promising 4-2 start, the Bears crashed back down to earth with three consecutive losses – capped off by a blowout 19-3 defeat to the lowly Patriots last weekend. During Chicago’s losing streak, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offensive unit did little to impress – amassing just 27 points over that span and failing to find the end zone in back-to-back games versus the Arizona Cardinals and New England.
Due to the team’s recent offensive woes, Bears top brass fired Waldron on Tuesday, just nine games into their season. Passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, meanwhile, has been promoted to offensive coordinator in his absence.
It wasn’t long ago that Rodgers talked highly of the Bears’ offensive unit. Despite tormenting Chicago for much of his career with the Packers, he asserted that better days were ahead for the downtrodden franchise.
When asked on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast in July if he believes that Williams will shine at the professional level, Rodgers replied, “Yeah, I do.” The New York Jets quarterback argued that the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had many offensive weapons at his disposal, adding: “I like [D’Andre] Swift, I like Keenan [Allen], I like the receiver from Washington [Rome Odunze], he’s good. And then, of course, you still got DJ [Moore].
“I think that team is almost good enough to beat the Packers. Almost good enough.”
Caleb Williams has struggled mightily during the Bears’ active three-game losing streak (Image:Getty Images)
The Packers are currently in the midst of a far better season than the Bears or the 3-6 Jets, having won four of their last five games. Green Bay has continued to have Chicago’s number in recent years – even in the absence of Rodgers, who boasts a 26-5 record against his former rival during his career.
While appearing on a recent episode of the ‘Pat McAfee Show,’ however, Rodgers sympathized with the difficult situation that Williams has now been placed in during his first NFL season. “For a young player to come in like that and be drafted first overall – with all the pressure, scrutiny, expectations, and obviously with the roster moves they made – and then you get rid of the guy calling the plays after a nine games? 10 games? Something like that. That’s a tough deal for him,” he admitted.
“But I don’t know him. I know a little bit about him… He’s strong enough mentally to get through this, he is. Chicago is a great sports town, they got great sports fans.
”But the consensus for all fans is, ‘We’re not winning now and everyone needs to get the hell out.’”
