Where's Seahawks' Shane Waldron Rank Among Best Coordinators?
The Seattle Seahawks' offense entered the 2022 season after trading away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, but quickly blew those expectations away.
Not only was the Seahawks offense better than anticipated, it looked like one of the best in the league at times. Quarterback Geno Smith had an unexpected breakout season, running back Kenneth Walker III finished as an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist, and receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett kept humming along as usual.
The players deserve a ton of credit for stepping up, but so does offensive coordinator and play-caller Shane Waldron. Hired in 2021, Waldron's unit looked significantly better in Year 2 despite the change under center, a testament to his ability as a coach.
After such a strong season, Waldron is gaining some attention as a premier offensive coordinator. Recently, the Seahawks' play-caller came in at No. 4 in Pro Football Focus' ranking of the league's best offensive coordinators.
"When Shane Waldron was initially hired, the focus was on how he was going to help unlock the best play from Russell Wilson," PFF writes. "As it turns out, he was to preside over a breakout season from Geno Smith instead. It’s very difficult to parse where the credit for that unexpected season belongs, or even how real it was, but transforming a journeyman quarterback into a top-10 starter is a seriously impressive thing to put on a resume."
Waldron comes from an impressive background, previously serving as the Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator under Sean McVay. In 2022, he got the chance to work some of that magic himself.
Additionally, a former Seahawks offensive coordinator also cracked the top 10. Current Dallas Cowboys coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who served as Seattle's offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020 and whom Waldron replaced, clocked in at No. 10 on the list. The Cowboys promoted Schottenheimer to offensive coordinator this offseason, giving him his first shot at such a role since he parted ways with the Seahawks.
This season, Waldron will have even more weapons at his disposal in two rookies, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet. With even more skill to work with, Waldron should be in for another impressive showing in 2023.
You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News
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