Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is entering a new season, with a new head coach and a new approach to the game. What will be the biggest challenge facing Williams in Year 2 of his NFL career?
Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams was entering the league as the top quarterback prospect in a draft where the top 3 picks were signal callers expected to make their mark on the league. While Williams had moments where he looked like the top pick in the draft, he faced struggles and challenges that he is hoping to grow from entering his second season in the league.
Along with being sacked a league-high 68 times, Williams struggled to find consistency within the offense that struggled with execution. A revamped offensive line and an offensive minded guru like Ben Johnson taking over as head coach should help Williams transcend as a young quarterback. While the coaching and team around him projects to be better, the Bears will depend on Williams making the necessary adjustments to make him look the role of a franchise QB.
Johnson and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will help with that, but it’s going to be up to Williams to take command of the offense. The biggest challenge will be his ability to see the field, understand defenses and not force the ball when he is under duress.
Caleb Williams can do more by trying not to do too much
Williams recognized his role in his team’s offensive struggles and took self-blame for a lot of the sacks he did take in his rookie season.
"There's been a stupid -- excuse my language -- but a stupid idea behind my offensive linemen," Williams said back in January. "The connotation behind my offensive line has been annoying and frustrating because they work their tail off to be able to go out there. The negative connotation behind them, they come in and work their butt off each day, each week.
"I've taken sacks, yes. And a good amount have been on me, whether it's small things of getting the ball out of my hands and maybe dirting it, not trying to find the perfect route, perfect play, maybe it's just throwing it out of bounds, dirting it, finding the checkdown faster. And the other one is not trying to make plays all the time."
Again, an improved offensive line should help Williams make a Year 2 leap, but the relationship with his coaches will be the biggest benefit to the young quarterback’s growth. Williams has already been very complementary of Johnson whose success as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions should shine itself bright if the Bears find consistency and explosive scoring with Williams under center.
In all, despite the struggles and changes in coaches during this rookie season, Caleb Williams still managed to put up some impressive numbers. He threw for 3,541 yards and went 326 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception which was impressive considering the number of times he was pressured.