Compared to previous Chicago Bears rookie quarterbacks, Caleb Williams was by far the best this organization has ever had in 2024. He finished with 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions for an 87.8 passer rating. However, people still couldn't help but criticize him. He took far too many sacks (68), fumbled 10 times, and seemed to go through stretches where he was clearly overwhelmed. Of course, having his coaching staff in constant turmoil didn't help. Even so, some wonder what happened to the former Heisman winner.
There were multiple explanations. The coaching, as stated above, was awful. The offensive line was undermanned from the start and only worsened as injuries mounted. Still, Williams deserves criticism for the hiccups as well. His longtime personal quarterback coach, Will Hewlett, spoke to Go Long TD about what happened last year. He believes Williams played well, especially given the circumstances. That said, he did admit the quarterback developed a bad habit that may have hurt him early in the season.
I think he had a good year. He, like every quarterback, has to figure out what they can and cannot get away with in the NFL. The magic that Caleb brings to the field that you saw at USC so frequently and that you saw flashes of in games this year — being able to press that button and pull that trigger — it’s not that it ever disappears. It’s like “When do I use my magic?” He knew from the get-go. Our initial conversations were “I want to play with structure from the pocket.” And in some capacity maybe there was an overcorrection there where it’s like, “Hey, you’re still an elite athlete, run the ball!” And I think you started seeing his game evolve the right direction when he started using his legs more.
Caleb Williams was stubborn about his work from the pocket.
Many criticized Williams leading up to the draft for relying too much on his athleticism and improvisational ability. While they are special, that alone wouldn't make him a great quarterback in the NFL. He had to learn how to play from the pocket. It seems he was determined to prove them wrong, which is why it looked like he was purposely staying in the pocket even as it broke down. He forced himself to process the field, even when he could've easily escaped.
Through his first nine games, he ran only 40 times and was sacked 38. He had nine touchdowns and five interceptions in that stretch. Things finally seemed to flip after that. Caleb Williams ran 41 times over the remaining eight games, was sacked only 30 times, and had 11 touchdowns with only one interception. It wasn't always pretty, but he at least seemed more like himself. This time around, he will have a better offensive line and much better coaching. Once he gets comfortable, the true Caleb should emerge.
