LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams isn’t the first rookie quarterback to enter the NFL with huge expectations, but he’s had some tough times at the start.
It won’t be the last.
Williams arrived in Chicago to a hero’s welcome. The “jelly” player was expected to join an offensive line full of playmakers and lead the Bears to their projected rise.
Then, the NFL dealt Williams and the Bears a major blow from the start.
Through two games, Williams has thrown for just 267 yards while completing just 56.6 percent of his passes. The USC player has thrown two interceptions and has yet to reach the end zone.
Football is the ultimate team game. And Williams’ feet aren’t the only ones to blame for the Bears’ offense’s struggles. He was erratic in his NFL debut, dropping many of the passes he normally hits. He played much better in Week 2 but was the victim of a weak Bears offensive line that allowed him to get sacked seven times and pressured him on 23 of 48 pass breakups against the Houston Texans, according to Next Gen Stats. The Bears’ offensive line ranks 30th in pass blocking win rate through two weeks, according to ESPN Stats.
However, 267 yards and zero touchdowns isn’t what Williams or the Bears expected after an offseason that saw them crowned the NFL’s next rookie team.
However, the Bears have also spent the past eight months building the right support system for Williams to handle the expected upheavals faced by rookie quarterbacks.
Williams expected more early in his career. And everyone expected more. But the Bears are focused on helping Williams overcome adversity as he grows into the star his talent suggests he will be.
This requires one thing above all else – patience.
“Just be consistent,” coach Matt Eberflus said Friday at Halas Hall when asked about his message to Williams. “If you want to ride a roller coaster, you can, but you don’t have to. You have to be consistent. You have to make sure you’re playing and you’re digesting and those things come together.”
“Caleb is 22 and he’s going through this for the first time, and he’s learning the process. He has a good plan. All he has to do is stick to it, and keep working. You can listen to this or that or whatever. You can’t listen to outside noise. You have to be right, do the right thing and you’ll get the right outcome. He does that.”
NFL history has many extremely talented quarterbacks who got hit in the mouth early and responded with a great record and, in some cases, earned a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Peyton Manning is the prime example. In his first two games, Manning completed 42 of 70 passes for 490 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. His brother, Eli Manning, completed less than 50 percent of his passes, while passing for 310 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.
Matthew Stafford has thrown five interceptions and just one score in his first two games, while John Elway has completed 10 of 28 passes for 120 yards and one interception.
Houston Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud was in top form, throwing for 626 yards and scoring two touchdowns in his first two games. However, Stroud endured a rough patch after his first month, completing less than 50 percent of his passes in three straight games from Week 5 through Week 7. Stroud only had one interception during that stretch, but the Texans managed one win and two ties as the offense struggled.
Stroud recovered quickly and finished the season on a rocket to stardom, recording 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 games on his way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Texas coach DeMicco Ryans, who was San Francisco’s defensive coordinator during the failure of Trey Lance and the subsequent rise of Brock Purdy, recognizes the need to foster a supportive environment that takes the burden off the young quarterback’s shoulders as the inevitable struggles arrive.
“One thing we all have to take a step back from, we can’t expect every young quarterback that gets drafted to come in and tear the league up right away,” Ryans told the Texas media on Thursday. “That’s not how it works. Just look at Peyton Manning and his career and how he started his rookie year. One of the best quarterbacks of all time, he didn’t start tearing the league up right away as a rookie. So we have to be patient with all of these quarterbacks. Some quarterbacks take a little longer than others.”
“But it’s just about everyone being patient and not rushing to crown the next star. Because it’s hard to win in this tournament. It’s hard to lead in this tournament, especially with the young players coming in and the weight that’s on them. I think that’s a bit too much personally. Everyone expects them to come in and be the best in the tournament and that’s not true. You have to grow. You have to learn. You have to go through some growing pains. That’s how you improve and become a real professional in this tournament.”
Williams welcomes the early challenges he faces in the NFL. He entered the league with high expectations and an understanding that things would not be smooth sailing. There would be lessons, and he would have to adapt and grow.
“It’s amazing. It’s really amazing,” Williams said after the Bears’ loss to Texas. “You come into this position. You come into games like this. This was a playoff team last year, and to be down by six points and have a chance to win with the ball in your hands, that’s all you can ask for.”
For the Bears, their job is to help Williams protect against the frustration that could come if the early struggles continue. They know Williams is their prized asset. This season should be about fostering the growth and development of a rare talent who can take the franchise to desirable heights if they succeed.
Patience. Patience. Patience.
“I think it goes back to where you started last week, which is where your feet are,” offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said. “I think the turnaround in the NFL is so fast. It’s a long season. Good things and bad things are going to happen to every team in the league. And how do you come back on Monday, whether it’s a great win or a loss … that’s still not what anybody is looking for — but how do you show up to work on Monday with a positive mindset looking forward? Be where your feet are. You can’t change the past, but you can impact the future with the actions you take that day.”
However, Williams was balanced in dealing with the blows he received, drawing lessons learned, and putting in the necessary effort to improve his performance.
“I can tell he’s handling it very well,” left guard Tevin Jenkins said Friday. “His body language here was the same. He didn’t show any frustration. He didn’t show any hesitation towards outside noise or anything like that. I can tell he’s handling it very well.”
Williams will have a good chance to show off the fruits of his labor on Sunday against a struggling Indianapolis Colts defense. He doesn’t have to set the world on fire, but a game in which he finds the end zone and consistently displays his rare abilities will show that the roller coaster is on its way up after an early touchdown.
Much is expected of him. But his breakout has been hampered by poor pass protection, poor draft picks and important early lessons learned in the NFL.
Williams and his Bears will continue on that path, and ultimately it’s his talent, combined with the Bears’ process, that will put him on the path that Manning, Stafford, Elway and Stroud found in their own timelines.
“I thought he was great,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “He wasn’t frustrated vocally or anything like that. He was coming in and learning. So we’ll see how he recovers this week.”
We all are.
Click here to follow the Under Center podcast.
“Food ninja. Friendly thinker. Explorer. Entrepreneur. Zombie junkie.