Caleb Williams became the first quarterback the Chicago Bears ever took with the 1st overall pick in the draft. That was a clear declaration that they feel he has all the tools necessary to be a franchise guy. It was easy to see why. His mobility, arm talent, instincts, and playmaking skills made him a college superstar. He carried a mediocre USC program to instant success and won the Heisman trophy. Even last year, despite a horrendous coaching situation, he still managed to put up respectable numbers.
Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker isn’t convinced. He’s seen too many red flags to believe Williams will last in Chicago. His reasoning stems from his attitude before the draft when trying to avoid the Bears picking him. There was also his tendency to take too many sacks, which isn’t usually something a player gets over. Tucker told Mully & Haugh on 670 The Score that if he were to make a bet, he’d wager Williams won’t be the Bears’ quarterback three years from now.
Caleb Williams deserves a fair chance.
Basing his entire career on what happened last season is asking for trouble. He was a rookie, got little help from the NFL’s worst coaching staff, and had a porous offensive line that constantly struggled against blitzes and stunts. Blaming Caleb Williams for that feels pretty unfair, especially since he had stretches where he played well. After a rough first three games, he finished the final 14 with 2,911 yards, 18 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was excellent in divisional games, pushing the Vikings to overtime, coming a blocked kick away from beating the Packers once and beating them on a last-second kick the second time.
Now, he has a retooled offensive line and a head coach who is renowned as one of the best play-callers in the league. It is not unreasonable to think Williams will show significant improvement this season. If that happens, any idea he’ll be gone within three years feels short-sighted. It only happens if he’s either really bad or if head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t like him. Both seem unlikely.
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