Many of the issues Caleb Williams faced as a rookie still limit him and the 0-2 Chicago Bears in his sophomore NFL campaign. We see flashes of why he was one of the most highly touted quarterbacks in recent memory when he came out of college. Yet, too often, the incredible highlights are accompanied by miscues.
Williams has had to juggle his continued development with mastering first-year head coach Ben Johnson's complex scheme, which ostensibly hasn't made things any easier. The young signal-caller figures to have a long leash, given the circumstances and considering the Bears selected him No. 1 overall last offseason. Nevertheless, the time for excuses is running out, especially if notable strides aren't taken sooner rather than later and the team keeps losing.
How much patience should Chicago have? ESPN's Jeremy Fowler boldly floated the idea of a potential controversy under center if they don't see meaningful growth from Williams by early November. That'd be a doomsday scenario for the Bears, signaling an alarmingly quick end to what's supposed to be the start of a bright future.
NFL insider boldly floats possibility of Bears eventually benching Caleb Williams
"What if the Bears' Caleb Williams doesn't find his footing in Ben Johnson's timing-and-rhythm passing game by, say, Week 10?" Fowler wrote. The insider proceeded to acknowledge that the former Heisman Trophy winner "showed positive signs" in Chicago's Week 2 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions.
However, Fowler then mentioned that the "feeling" out of Bears training camp was that their offense was "a bit crisper" with backup passer Tyson Bagent. That's not a knock on Williams' "otherworldly" skills. Nonetheless, in today's era of no job security, such a notion does at least force Johnson and Co. to consider all options.
Through two contests this season, Williams has the sixth-highest off-target throw percentage among those to make at least 10 passes (21.5). Conversely, he has the third-lowest highly accurate throw rate using the same qualifier (47.7 percent). In other words, his inaccuracy makes it hard to hit receivers in stride or the numbers, let alone move the chains and score points consistently.
Moreover, Williams continues to take sacks at an above league-average clip despite seeing a slight dip in that mark early in 2025. His inability to operate within the structure of Johnson's system is also concerning. Regardless, Fowler ultimately suggests that the former USC standout's upside can't be ignored, which should ensure Bagent stays on the back burner ... for now.
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"Is Johnson willing to be patient here? I think so, "Fowler declared. "And Williams' immense talent is a commodity worth betting on. But these coaches feel pressure to win -- three-year grace periods no longer exist -- and Johnson didn't draft Williams. Just thinking out loud."
Note: Stats courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite ($).