The Chicago Bears did it again—another season opener, another home loss. This time it was 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears had all the momentum, until they didn’t.
The nightmare scenario unfolded under the Monday night lights: Caleb Williams struggled. Instead of silencing the noise around him, he may have amplified it. Labeled a “generational quarterback,” surrounded by weapons, and paired with a new head coach who schemed receivers open, Williams still couldn’t deliver. Too often he missed open targets, arrived late with his throws, or delivered the ball inaccurately.
Chicago gave Justin Fields three years. They gave Mitchell Trubisky four. This was only game 18 for Williams—the start of his second NFL season—and he’s already had multiple offensive coordinators. So how long do we give him? Is it fair to say he needs to be better? Absolutely. Is it fair to say he has until midseason to show progress? Maybe. Is the Tyson Bagent hype real? Hard to say.
The Bears have never been a quarterback-friendly franchise, but Williams hasn’t done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. He was drafted to be the guy, the one to finally lead this team. Meanwhile, JJ McCarthy—despite some questionable help from the refs—made the plays his team needed. Williams didn’t.
When you’re the number one overall pick, expectations come with the territory. If you don’t meet them, criticism is inevitable. I’m not ready to jump ship on Williams, but serious doubts are creeping in. And I hate to admit it—but that’s the cold, honest truth.
