Caleb Williams Went Off On Experts In New Interview. Here's Why

It is already becoming clear that Caleb Williams is not Justin Fields. We're not talking about the talent. That was obvious. They are two different athletes. No, we're talking about the personality. Fields was very much an introverted young man. He didn't say much during interviews or press conferences. While he showcased an alpha personality, it didn't show up on camera. Make no mistake. Williams is not playing the good soldier schtick. When he has something to say, he is going to say it. He doesn't care if it rubs people the wrong way.

That was evident through an excellent interview on the Pivot Podcast with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder. During one segment, they talked about his pro day and how it was somewhat unusual in that he didn't try to do anything fancy. It was mostly him running typical plays, all of them straight drops from the pocket. That was 100% intentional. Williams was making a point. One of the most persistent criticisms among draft experts leading into the spring was a supposed tendency to rely on his ability to improvise out of structure. He couldn't play from the pocket.

Williams made sure to point that out, saying the stats don't lie. In 2023, he had a 73% completion rate from the pocket despite playing behind a worse offensive line. Contrary to popular belief, Williams only left the pocket on 3% of his drops.

Caleb Williams will play whatever style is necessary to win.

That is what makes him so dangerous. If the line is playing well and the receivers are open, he'll throw from the pocket and carve defenses up. That happened a lot during his Heisman year in 2022. If the protection is bad and the receivers can't find space, he will move around until a window opens. That was the story of 2023. Unfortunately, too many draft experts don't look at the entire picture. They focus on the most recent stuff. That is how you end up misfiring at the position. That is what happened to Dan Marino. It's what happened to Jim Kelly. It happened to Jordan Love as well.

Nobody ever said Caleb Williams had to suffer criticism in silence. If he feels people aren't getting the facts straight, he will say something. He's far from the first high-profile athlete with such a personality. Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tom Brady were like that. Some guys have no qualms about speaking up for themselves. Jim McMahon was that way. Maybe this is the type of player the Bears need.