The consensus around the league seems to be out on the 2024 first overall pick, but I’m still high on the D.C. native.
Whether people say Caleb Williams stunk in his rookie season or point to poor stats, that simply isn’t true.
Williams threw for 3,541 yards with a 62.5% completion rate, tallying 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also added 489 rushing yards, often forced to make plays with his legs behind a below-average offensive line.
His passing numbers weren’t far off from Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. The Commanders quarterback threw for 3,568 yards with a 69% completion rate, 26 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, leading Washington to a 12-5 record and an NFC Championship appearance.
Williams set the Bears’ franchise rookie records for passing yards and completions, finishing with 351 completions.
He showcased his arm talent, playmaking ability, and accuracy in 2024, skills that will be on full display even more in a few weeks.
Unfortunately for Williams, he was dealing with several challenges: an inconsistent offensive line, a head coaching change, and a tendency to force plays when nothing was there.
Poor Offensive Line Play
According to PFF.com, the Bears’ offensive line ranked middle of the pack in 2024, featuring a young unit anchored by tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright.
Regardless of the end-of-season grade, Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times.
He did have his struggles, leading the league with 110 bad throws, according to Pro Football Reference.
It’s a stat that can be skewed due to the constant pressure he faced. While some may interpret the high number of bad throws as recklessness or inaccuracy, it’s more a result of him trying to create home run plays while scrambling, something he often did at USC, but is much harder to pull off at the NFL level.
Williams ranked in the top five in several pressure-related stats, second in times blitzed (174) and pressures (160), and fifth in hurries (52).
The Bears addressed these issues to support their franchise quarterback, trading for two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, acquiring Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson, and signing free-agent center Drew Dalman.
With a potential top-10 offensive line unit heading into 2025, Williams should feel much more comfortable in the pocket.
Ben Johnson: Savior in Chicago?
The Bears underwent a head coaching change after Matt Eberflus was fired on November 29th, with the team sitting at 4-8 following a six-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown took over for the remainder of the season, dropping four straight before closing out the year with a 24-22 win over Green Bay.
For Williams, stability was never really there last season. But with offensive mastermind Ben Johnson now leading the team as head coach, Caleb is poised to take that next big step.
As the Lions’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons, Ben Johnson has made a name for himself by leading Detroit to a top-five scoring offense each year while calling the plays.
(Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/The Associated Press)
His guidance will be a huge asset to Caleb’s success.
Johnson, who worked closely with Jared Goff, a solid quarterback but by no means has the same intangibles Williams possesses, helped him elevate his game to a top-10 level, revitalizing Goff’s career after his time in Los Angeles.
Weapons All Around
The Bears also made it a priority to go out and get some young up-and-coming talent at the skill positions.
Chicago selected tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan with the tenth overall pick. Loveland was the top tight end prospect in last year’s draft, finishing his three seasons as a Wolverine with 117 receptions, 1,466 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
The Bears also added speed at wide receiver by drafting Luther Burden III from Missouri in the second round. The former Tiger caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns during his college career.
The trio of DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, and Rome Odunze accounted for 57% of all receptions, 60% of passing yards, and 85% of Williams’ touchdowns in 2024.
Adding two more playmakers gives Williams all the weapons and possible production he could ask for.
Bright Future Ahead
For Williams, the biggest area he’ll need to improve is his decision-making, which was sometimes questionable.
Hanging onto the ball too long when he should’ve thrown it away was an issue for Williams in 2024. While not always a bad trait, he needs to learn when to just throw into the third row. I’m confident he’ll fix this before it becomes a lasting problem.
It’s something many young quarterbacks struggle with early in their careers. With a year of experience under his belt, I think he’ll show noticeable improvement.
With a solid offensive line, young and talented skill players, and a genius offensive mind as his head coach, everything is in place for Williams to succeed. The talent is there, and the support around him should help him reach his full potential and firmly enter the top-ten conversation.
Down the line, Williams will be a perennial Pro Bowler, an All-Pro, and a part of the elite quarterback conversation until he decides to hang up his helmet.
Sure, there will always be doubters who don’t believe in the former first overall pick, but I’m confident he’ll live up to his potential, and it all starts in 2025.
For more NFL content, follow me on Twitter @MontaltoJared, on TikTok @JarSportsTakes, and YouTube @JarSportsTakes.
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