Caleb Williams had his “welcome to the NFL” game in the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Houston Texans in Week 2 and afterward he received an encouraging word from C.J. Stroud. Stroud met with his Bears counterpart on the field with cameras swarming them.
His general message was that Williams had the talent and deserved to be the No. 1 pick and to just keep going as the Bears offense has stumbled out of the gate.
Stroud insisted on Wednesday that he was not trying to “little bro” Williams in any way.
Bears News: C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields Weigh In on Caleb Williams
Texans’ C.J. Stroud Has ‘Ton of Respect’ for Bears’ Caleb Williams
On the road, down one of his top receivers and facing an onslaught on blitzes, Williams threw two interceptions — which he termed on Wednesday as “stupid mistakes” that “won’t happen again — absorbed 7 sacks and was hit 11 times.
Worst of all, the Bears lost, something players typically show in the immediate aftermath.
1️⃣8️⃣ 🤝 7️⃣
Bright futures ahead. @CJ7STROUD @CALEBcsw pic.twitter.com/oefktrH9fv
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024
“He knows that too,” Stroud told KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson on September 18. “I have a ton of respect for him; I told him I have respect for him. But I had so many guys coming up to me after games last year, and that meant the world to me that those guys even thought about giving me advice. So just try to give back what the game has gave to me.
“I wish him the best, I want him to do amazing in this league. I think he will, I think that he’ll hit his groove. Once you get your rhythm — I didn’t get my rhythm until like Week 3, Week 4. So I can see his game picking up from here.”
Stroud said he did not take Williams’ reaction as any sort of disrespect, understanding emotions are high after a loss.
The link between the two QBs is undeniable. The Bears passed on the opportunity to select Stroud, who went No. 2 overall in 2023, instead trading out of the No. 1 slot. Granted, that trade landed Moore and the pick that brought Williams to Chciago among other things.
Still, in his first measuring stick game, Williams fell short. That is not surprising or even unexpected, especially with a quarterback as talented as Stroud and a team like the Texans.
However, the Bears need to figure it out fast lest they run the risk of repeating their past failures at the position.
Justin Fields: Caleb Williams is ‘Going to Be Fine’
Reporters asked former Bears QB Justin Fields for his thoughts on Williams. He pointed to the Texans and Tennessee Titans’ defenses and insisted his successor would be fine going forward.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” Fields told Fox Sports Digital’s Chantz Martin in comments published on September 18. “It’s his second game he just got done playing. He’s talented, he has all the talent in the world. They drafted him No. 1 overall for a reason.
“Of course, it’s just not him, but he’s going to get most of the blame just because of the position he’s in,” he continued.
Fields knows all too well what Williams is going through. He was behind a suspect line with an undermanned wide receiver corps during his Bears tenure.
The Bears traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. He was set to be QB2 behind former Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks QB — and rumore Bears trade target — Russell Wilson. Wilson suffered a calf injury, leaving Fields to start the first two weeks of the season. He is 2-0 so far and headed for his third straight start.
That is good news for the Bears’ conditional draft pick from the trade. Meanwhile, Fields hopes the Bears get it right.
“Just as a whole, the guys over there I know, they want to be better, and I think they’re going to be better,” Fields said. “So, I’m hoping that they start getting [the things] done on offense that they need to do.”
Bears Offense’s Confidence Still High Amid Slow Start
Notably, DJ Moore said things usually start clicking for young QBs after two or three games. Moore says the confidence in and from the group is still high.
That is good with a matchup against the 0-2 Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 on the docket.
“We still got the same playmakers, same mindset,” Moore told Clocker Sports on Wednesday. Like I said, it’s been live-action now and you just got to get used to everybody playing at they top top and not like what we see at practice. You get your top at practice but it’s not like when the lights is going.”
Moore noted that the Bears had to hone in on their identity — be it as a running team or passing one — and get it down to second nature.
Moore has supported Williams just as he did Fields. Now, he just needs to find a similar kind of connection on offense.