Where does Caleb Williams stand after Chicago Bears offensive coordinator change?

LAKE FOREST – It has been a tumultuous few days at Halas Hall.

The Bears offense cratered on Sunday, scoring three points in a loss to the New England Patriots. Head coach Matt Eberflus promised changes on Monday morning, then fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday.

Eberflus promoted passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to run the offense. Almost lost in all that drama was the fact that the team cut its highest-paid offensive lineman – Nate Davis – on Wednesday.

Following Sunday’s game, Eberflus said all options for fixing this offense were on the table. He has never, at any point, said the Bears would consider benching rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

“He needs reps,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “All rookie quarterbacks need reps. They need exposure, experience to get better, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

He needs reps. All rookie quarterbacks need reps. They need exposure, experience to get better, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

—  Matt Eberflus, Bears head coach

There was some speculation online this week that some Bears veteran players might be pushing for backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to take over starting quarterback duties. Bagent went 2-2 in his four starts last year as a rookie.

Tight end Cole Kmet was adamant Wednesday that nobody was calling for a change at QB. Top receiver DJ Moore on Wednesday said that the team remains behind Williams, the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.

“Yeah, you’ve got to have support for him, no matter what,” Moore said. “He’s going out there, busting his butt, trying to learn everything at once, and the defenses are throwing a lot at him. So, you can’t really be mad at him. You just got to still back him. Whatever he’s doing, he’s going to get better at, and we’re with him.”

Williams has not thrown a touchdown pass since Week 6 in London (he hasn’t thrown an interception either). Over this current three-game losing streak, Williams has averaged only 156 passing yards per game.

Part of it could be chalked up to injuries on the offensive line. The Bears finished Sunday’s loss with only one Week 1 starter still in the lineup along the O-line.

But Williams also hasn’t played well. He himself has admitted to missing some easy throws. The chemistry with his receivers seemed to vanish during the last two games.

[ Is Thomas Brown the right man to fix Chicago Bears offense? New OC says there are no ‘quick fixes’ ]

“I’ve done well protecting the football, not turning it over,” Williams said when asked about his play. “But I think [it’s] getting on a better page with the guys throughout the week of practice.”

Asked how Williams could improve, Brown declined to discuss the details of his conversation with the rookie.

“Quarterback’s the most difficult position,” Brown said. “So we’ve got to be better all around him, but it also starts with how we coach it, being more detailed, being more demanding with just him, but also with the entire staff as well.”

Eberflus said he wants to see more consistency out of the rookie quarterback. The confidence has always been there, the consistency has not.

Pressed further on if there could be any scenario where the Bears would consider benching Williams, Eberflus didn’t exactly rule it out.

“I would just say that we’ll look at everything week to week,” he said. “You always do that, what’s best for the football team. We made a big decision [this] week [firing Waldron] and I think you always have to evaluate that: the things you did well, the things you need to improve on.”

Some positive injury news

The Bears could be moving toward having both starting offensive tackle back this week against Green Bay. Left tackle Braxton Jones and right tackle Darnell Wright, who are both dealing with knee injuries, were limited participants in practice Wednesday. Both missed last week’s game against New England.

Linebacker Noah Sewell (knee) and defensive end Darrell Taylor (knee) were also limited.

Safety Jaquan Brisker remains out with a concussion. Brisker hasn’t played or practiced since Oct. 6. It has been a long recovery for the third-year safety, who is dealing with his third diagnosed concussion since entering the NFL. Responding to a fan on social media recently, Brisker said he’s “trying, trust me” to get back on the field.

Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat (ankle) also sat out practice Wednesday. Additionally, tackle Kiran Amegadjie (calf), guard Teven Jenkins (ankle) and defensive back Tarvarius Moore (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday at Halas Hall.