The plan the Chicago Bears have had about quarterback Caleb Williams all along this season seems to be almost reaching the point they hoped he would be.
It's been a stellar start for Williams, who has led the Bears to an 8-3 start and has been putting on some strong performances on the field. Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle sees what every Bears fan does with how much he has improved from 2024 to this season.
"His eyes have improved, his feet have improved. They’ve gotten better every week. You go back at the tape every week, and there are plays where you’re like, ‘Man, this is what it looks like. This is what we want all the time.’ And then there are still plays where you’re like, ‘OK, this isn’t what we want. This is how we want it.’ And he’s very receptive to that. That’s been awesome. It’s been great to work with him. He's a guy who’s very hungry for growth, he’s very hungry to hear feedback, and he wants to improve. That’s really the first step in a lot of steps."
Williams is exactly who the Bears were hoping he would be
Over the last few weeks, it's been all about how Williams was thrown the whole playbook and coaching all at once during training camp. While it caused some early issues, Williams is starting to become the quarterback Bears fans have waited decades to see.
This season, Williams has completed 59.2% of his passes for 2,568 yards and 16 touchdowns to four interceptions. He's added 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The big issue with Williams right now is accuracy and the number of off-target throws he's making through 11 games. Bears fans might have concerns about that, but Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Doyle can work with Williams to improve it.
One aspect of Williams' game that has taken the biggest strides is the decision-making. His 1.1% interception rate is on pace to set an NFL record if he keeps up the pace, and he has done a masterful job of protecting the football.
Read more: Bears' initial Week 13 injury report did nothing to make fans feel better
There's still some development the second-year quarterback needs, but Williams has caught everyone's attention and is growing into the franchise guy Bears fans have waited so long for.