Caleb Williams
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Joe Thuney explains how Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has impressed him
Over the course of his nine year NFL career, Joe Thuney has been tasked with protecting future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Now as a member of the Chicago Bears, it’s second-year quarterback Caleb Williams that Thuney will be blocking for. It would be a stretch right now to say that Williams will eventually follow Brady and Mahomes to Canton, the 23-year-old QB has already impressed the veteran guard.
Even after a rookie season that marked by struggles with accuracy and concerns about his stubborn willingness to hold onto the ball too long, you don’t need me to tell you that Caleb Williams possesses absolutely remarkable gifts on the gridiron. But what has stood out most to Thuney is what Caleb is doing off the field.
“He wants to come and hang out with the O-line, it’s great,” Thuney said on August 29, per Nicholas Moreano of Bear Goggles On. “We love him. He’s a great guy. It’s always great to talk football with him, talk anything with him, really.”
The importance of the relationship between a quarterback and his offensive line can’t be overstated, and while it’s most apparent to us — fans, analysts, writers, etc. — on the field, it’s a relationship that is nurtured and strengthened off the field. The fact that Caleb gets it at such a young age is a good sign.
Caleb Williams Impressing On The Field As Well
Now I can hear all of the Bears fans out there asking, ‘what about on the field?’ Hell, I’m asking the same questions. Caleb could be respected by his teammates and adored by his linemen, but is he progressing in the way he needed to heading into his second NFL season?
“I think that Caleb has done a great job of keeping everything in stride, even for a younger player, someone who doesn’t have the amount of repetitions that my other quarterbacks have had, and he has done a great job of just working his tail off, before work starts, and he stays after,” Thuney added. “It’s been great to see that. His dedication to the game and to the playbook has been awesome. Those are things that you’re really excited to see as an offensive lineman.”
Where Caleb needed to do the most work throughout the summer has been pre-snap. Over and over again, we heard about new head coach Ben Johnson’s frustration with how the Bears offense was operating in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. There were multiple instances where Johnson stopped practice to address the issues.
But with a week until the regular season begins, it seems as though Williams is finally getting the hang of the new offense.
“He’s done a great job of really mastering the language, the calls, everything,” said Thuney. “There are always things that we want to talk about. As an offensive line, with the quarterback, there are always things that we want to hash out; how we see this, what we think about that. That’s just football. It’s been great to learn with him and see how he sees the game and everything. I’ve been really happy.”
Is Caleb Williams Ready to Make the Leap?
How Joe Thuney speaks about Caleb Williams is a great indicator of where the young quarterback is, but how Williams speaks about himself and his own preparation may be an even clearer indicator about where he is nine days out from Chicago’s 2025 season opener.
“I’ve been able to get up to the line and make checks, be able to feel comfortable and trust the guys in front of me, trusting the five guys in front of me and the back,” Williams said following Chicago’s final preseason game, per Mike Pendleton of Bears Wire. “When I make the check, the back fills the gap, being able to deliver a good ball.”
With only 17 NFL starts under his belt, there are sure to be growing pains this season, especially as Williams learns another new offense. But even though the wait for a franchise quarterback has been a long one, Bears fans can afford to be patient. Things are trending in the right direction, and as long as that remains the case throughout 2025, there’s no reason to panic just yet.