People were so quick to declare Caleb Williams a bust after his first two games. They called him inferior to Jayden Daniels, who is off to an incredible start in Washington. Then, things slowly started shifting. Williams set a Chicago Bears rookie record with 363 yards passing against Indianapolis. Last week, he posted his first 100+ passer rating in a big win over the Los Angeles Rams. People still weren’t buying in. They felt he hadn’t done enough from a statistical point of view to justify any hype.
Well, that stance may have to change now. After one half of football, Williams staked the Bears to a 27-7 lead over the Carolina Panthers. In doing so, he threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Not only is he on pace to reset the rookie record of passing yards in a game he just broke, but he could record only the fifth 400-yard game in Bears franchise history. Again, this is only his fifth game as a pro. This is not to say the young quarterback has arrived. Carolina obviously isn’t a good team. Still, the progress is impossible to deny at this point.
Caleb Williams is playing the right way.
He isn’t forcing things. The rookie has worked hard to play from the pocket, lean on the running game, and not overreach for big plays. It took time to recognize what he could and couldn’t get away with. There is still work to do. He has far bigger tests ahead of him. Yet the evidence is right in front of our faces. Caleb Williams has the goods. All the Bears need to do is keep developing him and doing everything in their power to make sure he is well-protected and equipped. It won’t always be this pretty. We know how this Bears team can get with big leads. Either way, Williams’ progress is what matters most. It feels like fans can finally be excited.
