People are acting shocked that Caleb Williams is struggling to start Chicago Bears training camp. They shouldn't be. This is essentially another rookie season for him. Last year was a complete wash because Matt Eberflus and his former coaching staff did their jobs so poorly that they got fired. Now Williams has to start over in a brand new system under head coach Ben Johnson. Expecting consistently positive results from that was naive. This was always going to be a process filled with bumps.
It appears even Williams understands that. Make no mistake. He's as impatient as anybody to get this thing kicking on all cylinders. GM Ryan Poles even admitted this offseason that the quarterback tried skipping steps in the process last year, leading to his frequent struggles. It appears things have changed. Williams has come to an uncomfortable realization: this might take a while. If you don't believe it, listen to his comments from an interview with Jeff Joniak on SiriusXM Radio.
He openly admits real results might not arrive until next year.
Caleb Williams is starting to sound like Jay Cutler.
For those not old enough to remember, the former Bears quarterback had a somewhat complicated legacy. He could be surly with the media and was never the most efficient player. Still, he's the best quarterback Chicago has seen in 40 years. One thing that people didn't appreciate enough about him was his frankness. He was asked about how quickly the team could put together a highly productive offense in 2013. Cutler didn't mince words.
"Really, whenever you want to get into it, it's a three-year process to learn an offense."
He spoke from experience. After being drafted by Denver in 2006, he steadily developed until making the Pro Bowl in 2008. In that span, the Broncos went from 21st to 11th to 2nd in total offense. The bittersweet irony is that Cutler never stayed in the same system with the Bears for more than two years.
Caleb Williams seems to have reached this same conclusion after what happened last year. This is not something he can fast-track. He must let the process play out naturally if he wants to be great. Trust Johnson and the coaching staff to prepare him the right way. The one thing he needs is patience.
