Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times as a rookie with the 5-12 Chicago Bears in 2024. That is the second-most by a rookie and tied for the third most by any QB in NFL history.
It took a toll on him with Williams admitting to Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe that he was “so beat-up mentally, physically, spiritually” late in the season, he “dropped a few tears.” O’Keefe said Williams is close to having fully blocked out the “trauma” of last season.
Next season is about making his mark in a positive way.
Caleb Williams Plans to ‘Win Big’ With Bears in 2025
Caleb Williams Optimistic About Upcoming Season
Williams completed 62.5% of his throws for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 2024. He set the franchise records for yards and TDs, and captured the NFL rookie record for most consecutive passes without an interception. Now, Williams wants the stat that matters most.
“[Last season was] just figuring out I can play at this level. And I figured out I could.” Williams told O’Keefe in an interview published on April 15. “The plan is to go win big [this season].”
That means beating many of the other QBs around the league, who Williams does not hold any personal grudges against, but is also not interested in forming close bonds with during his time as a player.
“I think the NFL game has become very friendly,” Williams told O’Keefe. “I don’t necessarily want to be friends, because I want to keep that competitive advantage.”
The Bears entered last season with playoff expectations, but general manager Ryan Poles admitted they “skipped steps” with the team and Williams. To the latter point, Williams noted to O’Keefe that he remains a work in progress.
“Talented. Has work to do. Going to get a lot better. Learning. Gets better throughout the game,” Williams told O’Keefe before listing areas of potential improvement. “Processing, and then taking more checkdowns, and then footwork. I think those three are big for my game that I’m going to be working on.”
Caleb Williams on The Clock
Williams admitted to holding onto the ball too long often when at the podium last season. There were also failings by the organization around him that contributed to his growing pains.
Among them, the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, which started a 10-game skid. Williams said former head coach Matt Eberflus left players “annoyed” with how he handled the situation during and after the game.
Now, Williams has a new head coach, former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
He repeated much of what he has said since Johnson was hired, noting that they are building their rapport and that he hopes they are together for a long time.
That is the challenge, though. O’Keefe notes that a “veteran NFL personnel executive” believes Johnson’s hire buys Williams more time. The exec expected the 2024 No. 1 overall pick to get at least halfway through the 2026 campaign before “they’ll know.”
Bears Repeating 1 Potential Mistake With Caleb Williams
The biggest issues the Bears faced last season were leadership and having legitimate solutions to the problems they encountered.
They are repeating one of the biggest and most noteworthy with Johnson.
The new coaching staff has as much experience rearing young quarterbacks as the old one. While Johnson’s time with the Lions is why he is the Bears’ head coach, Jared Goff arrived in Detroit as a 26-year-old two-time Pro Bowler with Super Bowl experience.
This is a different animal for everyone involved, including Poles, whose job security was in question to start the 2025 offseason.
The Bears must hope their design and execution of their plan is better this time around.