Caleb Williams' rookie season will one day be appreciated as a resounding success. However, as the Chicago Bears slog through an eight-game losing streak and analysts like Troy Aikman criticize most of his throws in front of a national audience, Williams' positives have been outweighed by that growing cluster of missed passes.
It's understandable. Williams entered the NFL labeled as a generational prospect. And while he's had a handful of 'wow' moments in his first 14 games as a pro, it's fair to say there haven't been enough of them. It takes mental toughness to survive a rookie season like Williams is having, and the good news for Bears fans is that No. 18 has it.
"It's been frustrating and encouraging," Williams said of his rookie year. "I would say the frustrating part is obviously we're on a -- how many games now, eight? -- yeah, eight-game losing streak. Like I've said before, it's new to me. I haven't experienced anything like this. That's the frustrating part. The encouraging part is how much we fight as a team.
"The encouraging part is us as a team ... being able to go through all of what's happened this year. Me not playing well at the beginning of the season and feeling like I was seeing it well and then being able to find ways to keep growing, keep progressing through those times that I was frustrated. Coaches getting fired and all of this stuff going on, 4-10 right now. Being able to wake up, be consistent, do that every day with how it's been going is encouraging for me. It's encouraging for this team, and we've got to keep going. It's been encouraging but also frustrating for myself."
Williams has every reason to be encouraged, even from his own play. He extended his NFL record for the most games by a rookie quarterback without an interception (8) in Week 15. In fact, he's thrown a remarkable 286 straight passes without an interception, which is the longest active streak in the league.
In many ways, Caleb Williams' rookie season feels a lot like Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen's first full year as a starter. If you recall, Allen was erratic as a starter, failing to complete 60% of his throws while trying to play too much hero ball. Sounds like Williams, doesn't it?
Caleb's end-of-year numbers (on a per-game basis) will end up similar to Allen's in Year 1, too:
Caleb Williams, at his current pace over a 16-game season (see why below), will finish his rookie season with 3,356 yards, 19 TDs, and 6 INTs (61.9% completion percentage, 87.7 rating).
— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) December 17, 2024
Josh Allen, during his first full season as a starter (16 games), threw for 3,089 yards, 20…
In fact, Williams' 17-game pace is much better than he's been given credit for. Check out how he stacks up against other first-round quarterbacks from the last 10 years:
True 1st Round Rookie QB's Stats on a 17-Game Pace since 2014 #bears
— Da Bear Cave 🐻⬇️ (@DaBearCave1920) December 17, 2024
2024
Caleb Williams (1.1) - 3,566 Yards, 21 TD, 6 INT
Jayden Daniels (1.2) - 3,698 Yards, 21 TD, 7 INT
Drake Maye (1.3) - 3,227 Yards, 20 TD, 15 INT
Bo Nix (1.12) - 3,609 Yards, 24 TD, 13 INT
2023
Bryce Young… pic.twitter.com/gTAikeWFmZ
The Chicago Bears are a lightning rod for criticism. It's doubly true for the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Recent history hasn't been kind to the guy behind center in the Windy City, but Caleb Williams is built differently. He'll get through this tough time. He has the mental makeup to do it, and when combined with his incredible physical gifts, the next generation of Bears football is in good hands.
Assuming, of course, the right head coach is hired. But that's for another day.