It is already becoming clear that Caleb Williams is not Justin Fields. We’re not talking about the talent. That was obvious. They are two different athletes. No, we’re talking about the personality. Fields was very much an introverted young man. He didn’t say much during interviews or press conferences. While he showcased an alpha personality, it didn’t show up on camera. Make no mistake. Williams is not playing the good soldier schtick. When he has something to say, he is going to say it. He doesn’t care if it rubs people the wrong way.
That was evident through an excellent interview on the Pivot Podcast with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder. During one segment, they talked about his pro day and how it was somewhat unusual in that he didn’t try to do anything fancy. It was mostly him running typical plays, all of them straight drops from the pocket. That was 100% intentional. Williams was making a point. One of the most persistent criticisms among draft experts leading into the spring was a supposed tendency to rely on his ability to improvise out of structure. He couldn’t play from the pocket.
Williams made sure to point that out, saying the stats don’t lie. In 2023, he had a 73% completion rate from the pocket despite playing behind a worse offensive line. Contrary to popular belief, Williams only left the pocket on 3% of his drops.
Caleb Williams will play whatever style is necessary to win.
That is what makes him so dangerous. If the line is playing well and the receivers are open, he’ll throw from the pocket and carve defenses up. That happened a lot during his Heisman year in 2022. If the protection is bad and the receivers can’t find space, he will move around until a window opens. That was the story of 2023. Unfortunately, too many draft experts don’t look at the entire picture. They focus on the most recent stuff. That is how you end up misfiring at the position. That is what happened to Dan Marino. It’s what happened to Jim Kelly. It happened to Jordan Love as well.
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Nobody ever said Caleb Williams had to suffer criticism in silence. If he feels people aren’t getting the facts straight, he will say something. He’s far from the first high-profile athlete with such a personality. Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tom Brady were like that. Some guys have no qualms about speaking up for themselves. Jim McMahon was that way. Maybe this is the type of player the Bears need.
You can’t be a leader if you don’t believe in yourself. An alpha male personality (Ditka) works just fine as QB1. Its not trash talk, its self confidence and willing to accept the challenge. I thing he wins the locker room in record time.
@Tred And to be completely clear, I do want a QB1 who talks shit. I just want him to shit-talk after he’s won something.
Caleb will have every chance to silence his critics with his play. But trying to do so before he’s even touched grass implies both ego and extreme hubris. Again, all of this was very predictable and expected, and it’s what Poles seems to want from his QB1. Hope it works out.
@barry_mccockiner – honestly, I worry about how a bad stretch might affect him, too. But, if he backs up his talk with hard work, and results on the field, hopefully the media will get used to him.
In his favor, the media got used to Aaron Rodgers. And he’s not only a loudmouth jackass, he’s a space angel, too.
What the Bears need is a guy that can hit the receiver when’s he’s supposed to. Not stand back there and be afraid to throw. I think CW is that kind of guy.
I love his attitude!! As long as he’s backing it up on Sundays. This league can, and will, humble a young man very quickly. I believe he has a great personality for Chicago. He’s not going to shrink under media pressure. But as I said, and many other commenters said, it means nothing if your actions don’t back up your mouth. I believe he’s gona be an absolute star, and fans will learn to appreciate that bit if cockyness he carries with him. To me it’s a welcome sight after watching JF for 3 years as a QB who clearly… Read more »