There has been one fundamental truth about the Chicago Bears going back several decades. Their quarterback position has been one of two things. Either it was a guy the team could win with or a guy the team would win in spite of. Jim McMahon, Jim Harbaugh, and Jay Cutler fell into the former category, while Cade McNown, Jim Miller, Rex Grossman, and Mitch Trubisky were among many in the latter. The Bears have never had a quarterback they win because of. At least they haven’t in the modern era. Olin Kreutz believes this has finally changed.
The six-time Pro Bowl center has never been shy about giving his honest assessments of Bears quarterbacks going back several years. He was blunt about Trubisky, Justin Fields, and others who tried and failed to become the difference-maker this organization needed. However, based on what he’s seen this season, Caleb Williams has changed everything. Kreutz told 670 The Score that the second-year quarterback has become the multiplier this franchise hasn’t had in decades, and it changes their entire outlook.
Olin Kreutz likely feels a pang of envy while saying this.
He never got the chance to play with a quarterback like Williams in his long career. The closest he came was with Drew Brees in 2011, and that was at the end when he was nearing retirement. He lived through the years of McNown, Miller, Shane Matthews, Grossman, Kyle Orton, and Cutler. Having Williams during that era probably would’ve put a Super Bowl ring on his finger. At least that is how he makes it feel. If you don’t buy his assessment, look at the numbers—specifically, those of close games.
In the calendar year of 2025, the Bears had seven 4th quarter comebacks to win. Two of them were against the Green Bay Packers. He came close to doing it to them a third time a few weeks ago and came one pass away from doing it to San Francisco as well. What Olin Kreutz says is true. Every time the Bears have needed him to step up, Williams does. He saves his best for the big moments. That is what franchise quarterbacks do. Kreutz can see what is taking shape, and it creates all sorts of new possibilities for this organization.
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