Former NFL QB gives blunt assessment of Caleb Williams' rookie season

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a less-than-desirable rookie season in 2024, to little fault of his own. Or was it?

Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd as the two discussed Williams' struggles last year. Hasselbeck first attributed the issues to his struggles with the sacks he was taking and the lack of quick decisions being made.

“If we were assigning blame for most of the sacks in Chicago most of the blame wasn’t with the offensive line it was the fault of the young quarterback.”

"Early on, his eyes were on the wrong place. It didn't look like he had a clear grasp of the protection schemes. I think that was a big part of it."

"What got him into trouble in the second part of the year was he trusted his athleticism so much. You saw these things where he got away with it at USC. You're not going to get away with it in the NFL and I think that is one of the hard things for quarterbacks who have great mobility."

Hasselbeck also added a second issue Williams had, which was the leadership aspect. His body language was what disappointed Hasselbeck the most.

"I think number two for me is probably the overall leadership. Like we're looking at you, mention body language like that bothers me. That really bothered me how he handled that last year."

Are these fair criticisms of Williams?

Everything Hasselbeck discussed with Williams has been topics that were raised this offseason. His body language was also a significant issue for new Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who wanted Williams and D.J. Moore to work on it.

Pro Football Focus has already proven Hasselbeck's point that Williams taking his sacks is more of a problem than the offensive line. The Bears were tied for eighth in the highest pass blocking grade last year with 72.8.

It's another aspect of Johnson's development plan with Williams this offseason to work on his decision-making. Instead of trying to outrun everyone like he did in college, throw the football away to avoid taking the sack and risking a turnover.

Last year was only his rookie season, and Williams has plenty of work to go before he can be considered one of the great quarterbacks in the league. He already has plenty of believers in his game.

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This is a work in progress that will take time. Chicago hopes it's a short time.