Caleb Williams has always been a star. It’s been that way since high school, when he led his program to a state championship. This is the guy who had the greatest freshman debut of all time in a comeback win over Texas and then won the Heisman trophy a year later. One would think that such accomplishments would give Williams the benefit of the doubt when it came to learning how to play at the NFL level. However, it sounds like more than a few of his teammates were skeptical about the idea.
No be confused. Guys felt Williams would be successful. He was way too talented and driven not to be. This stemmed more from the uncertainty that a gifted athlete like him would ever learn how to play quarterback like a professional. Former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice admitted as much on The Athletic LIVE recently. He’d played with Williams in college. Not once during that time had the quarterback made throws based on timing and rhythm. He was a strict backyard-style passer, moving around with his legs searching for the big play.
What Rice is seeing now in Chicago is stunning.
Caleb Williams crossed a boundary many like him never did.
Remember, learning to play from the pocket often runs counter to the instincts of quarterbacks known for their mobility. For every Steven Young or Lamar Jackson, you get several failures like Vince Young, Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, and Justin Fields. It is a brutally difficult transition to make. Many felt that Williams didn’t have the focus, dedication, and work ethic to make it happen. Now four starts into his 3rd season, he’s completing 71% of his passes for 1,020 yards, 5 TDs, and 1 interception.
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No Chicago Bears quarterback has ever been this dialed in before. Caleb Williams is playing like a true star. Everything is clicking. As amazing as he was in college, he was never this precise. He’s transformed into a chess grandmaster, thinking three or four moves ahead, keeping the offense on time, and taking what the defense gives him. Only when the situation requires it does he put that Superman cape on and make a play. It is an evolution nobody thought would happen.
To see the Bears pull this off is bizarre.
Remember, this was an organization widely known for mishandling quarterbacks going back decades. Nobody thought for a second that they could build the infrastructure necessary to help Williams reach his full potential. Yet somehow, general manager Ryan Poles succeeded. He built a sturdy offensive line with names like Darnell Wright, Jonah Jackson, and Joe Thuney. He added weapons like Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and D’Andre Swift. Yet by far the most important addition was head coach Ben Johnson.
The offensive wizard from Detroit had the ideal mix of genius and teaching skills that Williams needed. Johnson was willing to be tough on the quarterback despite his lofty status as a former #1 pick. Williams, to his credit, welcomed the disciplined approach. It has certainly worked out in his favor. He’s playing the best football of his career, lifting himself into MVP conversations and putting the Bears in line for a Super Bowl push.
