Caleb Williams has not been bad. Chicago Bears fans know bad quarterback play. They’ve lived it for most of the past 80 years. There have been only brief breaks of sunshine through the constant storms of awful. What Williams has accomplished since arriving should be commended, especially after what he went through as a rookie. That said, nobody would consider his results to this point anything close to top-tier by NFL standards. He has been solid to good most of the time. However, everybody knows that usually isn’t enough to win championships.
If the Bears want to break through in the NFC, they need their young quarterback to take another step. Expecting him to do that not even halfway into his second season seems premature. As we’ve seen with guys like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, it can take time to find your footing in the NFL. Williams is finally in a situation under Ben Johnson that can help him develop. The question is whether the coaching staff feels this is something worth pursuing. One can’t forget they didn’t have a say in drafting Williams. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked about this.
He made it clear that the coaches are staying patient, but they haven’t committed to him by any means.
The remainder of the season is huge for Williams. He has shown growth and reacted favorably to direct messaging and coaching from Ben Johnson and his staff. The Bears would love to be in a position by the end of the season where they feel 100% confident in Williams as the starter for a bright future for the offense. They’re not at that point, and one big game Sunday against a Baltimore Ravens defense that has been in tatters wouldn’t accomplish that. It would be a nice step, though, no doubt.
I believe the Bears remain encouraged by the prospect of Williams’ development, but he and the team have a lot of ground to travel to get to a point where everyone wants to be. It can be difficult to evaluate at times because the bar for quarterback play in Chicago has been so ridiculously low for so long. That’s one reason a subset of readers couldn’t accept the reality early — and even late — in the Justin Fields era that he wasn’t going to be the guy.
Caleb Williams has earned more time.
He has played well enough through the first six weeks to justify giving him the benefit of the doubt. He’s thrown nine touchdowns to three interceptions and has drastically reduced his sack rate. The challenging part thus far has been learning to take easier throws, keeping the offense on schedule. Caleb Williams has always been naturally aggressive. Sometimes he lets that instinct take over, even when the situation clearly doesn’t call for it. Last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints was a perfect example.
Learning to operate within the confines of an offense is difficult, particularly when it’s one as dense and complex as Johnson’s. Williams still isn’t operating at high processing speeds, which leads to pre-snap penalties, botched snaps, and miscommunications. Contrary to popular belief, this is nothing new. Many young quarterbacks have gone through similar experiences.
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Bears coaches don’t need to see Williams become elite by the end of this season. They just want to see progress. If they don’t? That could lead to a difficult conversation next spring.