Caleb Williams has grown in so many ways since his rookie season in 2024. Under head coach Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears’ franchise quarterback has shown noticeable growth in his football IQ, especially as he enters his second year in Johnson’s offense.
Williams is getting the ball out of his hands quickly, distributing to whoever is open on a given play. That’s an obvious sign of growth. His back-to-back games with over 300 passing yards, at least one touchdown pass, and no turnovers also clearly indicate that the third-year quarterback understands what he's being asked.
One sign of growth that won’t show up on any stat sheet is leadership. This isn’t to say that Williams lacked this quality through his first two years in the league, but what he did in Thursday night’s 30-24 win over the New England Patriots shows how he has taken that part of his game to another level.
Caleb Williams' moment as being a true Bears leader with Rome Odunze
Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze was called for an offensive pass interference penalty on a third-and-eight with 7:12 left in the second quarter. The mistake occurred in the end zone, forcing the Bears to settle for a Cairo Santos field goal.
NFL Films captured a key moment on the bench as Williams and Odunze discussed the play. The Bears’ quarterback offered support, saying he will put the ball in a good spot next time, and Odunze needs to stay that strong even if a defensive back holds him; if that happens, the Bears will benefit from a pass-interference call.
Odunze told Williams, “Come back my way, brother.”
Given how NFL games go, nobody knows for sure if or when another key moment like that will happen, but it did in the fourth quarter. The Bears faced a third-and-nine from their own 10-yard line, up 27-21 with 4:59 left on the clock. Williams dropped back to throw, sidestepped a defender, and delivered a strike to Odunze, who reached back to catch the ball in a tight window. Odunze made the reception for a 21-yard gain for the Bears.
That play kept the Bears’ drive alive. Two plays later, Odunze caught another ball on second-and-12, gaining another 21 yards. The Bears finished the drive with a 58-yard field goal from Santos, putting them up by six points.
Read more: Bears news roundup: Cole Kmet is out for the season, Ben Johnson has no regrets
One bad play didn’t deter Williams from giving one of his top targets another chance or two to make a huge impact down the stretch. The stats will show Williams’ development, but he's also taken a huge step in his growth as a leader this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google