On the surface, a quick glance at Caleb Williams' rookie numbers and one would suggest that the Chicago Bears' quarterback has cleared the bar of expectation but a deep dive proves that the one thing the organization claimed during the offseason, Williams having the best landing spot of any rookie quarterback, has proven to be a blatant lie.
Entering Week 18 against the Green Bay Packers, Williams has been sacked 67 times while also seeing both his offensive coordinator and head coach fired.
Shane Waldron's shortcomings as the Bears' offensive coordinator will make him one of the worst coordinator hires in the organization's history. Meanwhile, for Matt Eberflus, it's become clear that his coddling of the rookie quarterback has proven to go directly against what Williams was seeking during his first season in the NFL.
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday at Halas Hall, Williams set clear expectations of what he is looking for in the Bears' next head coach.
"A coach that challenges myself, but also challenges us as players. Whether it’s on the field, with character, doesn’t matter. Just a coach that challenges us. A man of his word. A disciplined coach," Williams emphasized.
Caleb Williams must have a say in the Chicago Bears' head coach search.
There's no need to read between the lines; Williams's comments seem to be a clear indictment of Eberflus. In a sense, it's actually impressive how egregious Ryan Poles erred last offseason when constructing Williams' rookie coaching staff. Poles' biggest decisions, bringing Eberflus back and signing off on the Waldron hire, appear to be a direct contradiction of what Williams wanted.
Given his input on Wednesday, Williams was asked about if he would have a say in the hire of the Bears' next head coach.
"Whatever, I guess, they allow. I’m not … I know that I’m a rookie and a young guy, so if they make decisions without me, that’s their job to make decisions and make those types of decisions. If they make a decision like that, just hope and believe and faith that those guys upstairs, they make the right decisions. And so that’s that. If I’m a part of it, then great," Williams explained.
Williams remains the most important person in the Bears' organization. While Williams' approval shouldn't be a requirement for the next head coach who the Bears hire, his input should be a factor in the team's search considering how much last offseason's coaching decisions backfired.