Patience is hard to come by these days with quarterbacks. It’s always essential to maintain the big picture. The Chicago Bears knew Caleb Williams had the talent to become a star. However, it was clear he needed work. Despite his natural ability, he lacked the necessary fundamentals and mental processing that most great NFL quarterbacks possess. It would take time to determine if he could learn how. That is why the Bears brought in Ben Johnson as the new head coach. If anybody could find out what Williams is capable of, it’s him.
Early returns were promising. He threw for seven touchdowns and just one interception in his first three games. Signs were there that he was seeing the field well. Since then? It hasn’t gotten better. Williams seems to have regressed each week. He has just two touchdowns to three interceptions and has completed less than 60% of his passes. The ugly showing in Baltimore against what had been one of the league’s worst defenses raised serious red flags. Williams looked too much like the player he was last year: jittery, erratic, and not composed. With the halfway point of the season at hand, it is nearing that time to ask the uncomfortable question.
Is this who Williams is?
The Bears must stick with Caleb Williams the rest of the year.
There is no denying his struggles. It’s there on paper and on film. Only those in the locker room know what is going on. Still, this team can’t afford to let a bad stretch deviate from their plans. Their primary goal this season, aside from winning games, was finding out more about Caleb Williams as a quarterback. To know for sure, he must play the full season, regardless of what happens. The Bears will then have (hopefully) 17 games to evaluate. If they feel he’s learning, then they can move forward.
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If not? Well, you can pretty much guess what happens next. It isn’t a comfortable conversation for fans after so many years of watching quarterback after quarterback come and go. They don’t want to do this again. It isn’t up to them. It is up to Williams. If he believes he can truly be the guy, then he must seize control of this offense. The longer it doesn’t happen, the worse it will look.
