Now that we've ringed in the New Year, it's time to start talking about the dreaded New Year's resolutions. Some people will go to the gym and lose weight, while others will get their finances in order.
For the Chicago Bears, their New Year's resolution should be clear: protect rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
It's obviously important that a team trying to develop a rookie quarterback needs to keep them upright. This way, they can learn how to read NFL defenses, step up in the pocket, and gain confidence with every throw. The Bears have failed to protect their prized rookie.
With just one game left in the 2024 season, Williams is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL. He's absorbed 67 sacks, per StatMuse. This is no way for a rookie quarterback to be introduced to the NFL. In fact, Williams' 67 sacks are the second most sacks taken by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Who is first? It's Houston Texans' David Carr and he was sacked 76 times in his 2002 rookie season, per StatMuse. If the Bears offensive line has a subpar day this Sunday, the record could be broken.
Protecting Caleb Williams has to be the focus of 2025 for the Chicago Bears.
There are many reasons for the Bears inability to protect Williams. One is coaching continuity. The Bears had a down year and coaches were given their walking papers. Head coach Matt Eberflus is gone. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is gone.
The other reason is injuries. The line has gone through different combinations after different combinations to protect Williams with mixed results.
The worst part of these struggles is the negative affect it will have on Williams development. It's almost impossible to develop as a quarterback when you are getting sacked almost 70 times in a season.
With all this being said, Williams is defending his offensive line with honor, saying some of the sacks are his fault and that he needs to get the ball out quicker, per Bleacher Report. This is what he is supposed to say. The quarterback never throws the line under the bus. However, the Bears porous offensive line play is inexcusable.
It's not fair to label Williams a bust, though. Williams' stats are actually quite impressive. He's been efficient and has only thrown six interceptions and threw 353 straight passes with no interceptions. Instead of a bust, Williams looks more like a good player on a bad team.
After Year 1, it looks like Williams' career is going to be similar to other Bears quarterbacks who regressed thanks to below average offensive lines like Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, and Jay Cutler.
Looking ahead to the offseason, the Bears must prioritize upgrading the offensive line through free agency and the draft.