The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

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.

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.

SURGERY FOR PRESCOTt

Dak Prescott has decided on surgery for his torn hamstring, ending the season for the franchise quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys when their playoff hopes were already fading fast.

Owner Jerry Jones said Prescott will have the surgery Wednesday in New York. Jones was speaking on his radio show Tuesday.

“His prognosis is wonderful,” Jones said. “It just means we’re not going to have him for the rest of the year.”

The decision comes a little more than a week after Prescott injured the hamstring in a 27-21 loss at Atlanta. He was on the sideline for Dallas’ fourth consecutive loss, 34-6 at home to Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Cowboys (3-6) already knew they would be without last season’s runner-up in NFL MVP voting for at least a month, and were resigned to the outcome that was finalized after Prescott visited one more specialist.

The recovery time is at least three months, about the amount of time former Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith was sidelined after sustaining a similar injury in training camp two years ago.

Prescott’s hamstring was partially torn off the bone, a condition known as partial avulsion. Surgery isn’t always required in such instances, as opposed to the full tear off the bone that Smith sustained.

It’s the second time in five years that the 31-year-old Prescott will miss more than half the season because of an injury. He broke an ankle in Week 5 in 2020, when Dallas finished 6-10.

The Cowboys, who play Houston (6-4) at home next Monday night, are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

The Pittsburgh Steelers will head into their AFC North showdown with rival Baltimore without outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Highsmith is “week to week” after Highsmith twisted his left ankle late in a 28-27 victory over Washington last Sunday. Highsmith suffered the injury while chasing down Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in the fourth quarter.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer, who has not played since Sept. 22 because of personal reasons, returned to practice Tuesday.

Mayer was placed on the non-football illness list on Oct. 11, which meant he would have to miss the following four games.

Mayer, a second-year player, started the first two games this season and played in three. He caught four passes for 21 yards.