Patriots unsuccessfully interviewed new Bears assistant Shane Waldron for offensive coordinator, per report

Waldron was announced as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator earlier this week.

The New England Patriots are currently in the process of searching for a new offensive coordinator, but one name may already be crossed off the list.

Prior to joining the Chicago Bears as their offensive coordinator earlier this week, Shane Waldron had an interview with the Patriots. In addition to Chicago and the Los Angeles Raiders, New England is one of three clubs that have expressed interest in the 44-year-old, per a report by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

There is more to Waldron and the Patriots than just their most recent encounter. In 2002, after graduating from Tufts University, he started working with the organization as an intern. Before leaving for a graduate assistant post at Notre Dame, he worked as an operations assistant for three years while residing in New England.

Waldron moved back to New England in 2008, first as a quality control employee and then as a tight ends coach. He left after the 2009 campaign and returned to the NFL in 2016 to work in quality control for the Washington Redskins under then-offensive coordinator Sean McVay. He had previously had positions in the short-lived UFL, at the high school level, and at UMass.

Waldron went with McVay when he left to join the Los Angeles Rams the next season. After being installed as the pass game coordinator and, for a brief while, the quarterbacks coach, he had previously coached tight ends.

The Seattle Seahawks hired him as their offensive coordinator in 2021 after learning about him through his work in Los Angeles. He was let go as part of the team’s restructuring of the coaching staff after three years on the job.

Waldron is apparently one of four coaches who have conducted interviews for the open offensive coordinator post with the Patriots. Along with Dan Pitcher of the Cincinnati Bengals, former Rams assistants Zac Robinson and Nick Caley are also being pursued by new head coach Jerod Mayo. Their shared experience in the infamous “Shanahan system” ties the four of them together.

The post of offensive coordinator for the Patriots became available last week when Bill O’Brien reportedly left to seek a job at Ohio State after just one season.