Is Caleb Williams Out of the Rookie Race After 2 Back-to-Back Losses?

Caleb Williams being the first overall pick was a declaration by the Bears that they had secured a highly talented playmaking prospect. But as things stand, Caleb has not been showing the brilliance that was promised to the NFL world before the season began. A close look at his last two games is a great context to understand the rookie’s struggles.

On paper, Caleb’s last two games against the Cardinals and the Commanders were an ideal opportunity for him to boost his chances in the Rookie of the Year award contention. But the former Trojans quarterback bottled this opportunity, as he arguably had the worst two games of his NFL career so far.

Not only did the Bears lose the last two games, but their talisman had 0 TDs to show as well. The problems didn’t just end here. Caleb, who was known for his efficiency in his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, recorded 9 sacks and a passing accuracy of just 49% [32/65] in those two games.

Caleb Williams has had a ROUGH two-game stretch:

• 32/65 (49%)
• 347 passing yards
• 0 passing TD’s
• 0 rushing TD’s
• 9 sacks
• 0-2 record (Commanders & Cardinals)

The Bears rookie QB is essentially OUT of any rookie of the year race.

And he was the FIRST OVERALL PICK… pic.twitter.com/r6o9cw6Mvb

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 4, 2024

Truth be told, Caleb has been lackluster throughout the entirety of the campaign so far. He has only shown splashes of brilliance, compared to other QBs from his draft class. 1,665 passing yards in eight games with more than half the interceptions [5] suffered compared to TDs scored [9]; these aren’t stats you expect from the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award.

Before the season began, Caleb was the unanimous frontrunner for this coveted award. But as things stand, Jayden Daniels is now the hot favorite.

Jayden Daniels has been the best rookie of this season so far

What sets Jayden Daniels apart from the other rookies is the impact he has had on this team. Nobody expected the Washington Commanders to be where they are today [7-2], especially not with a rookie at the helm. With 1,945 yards in 9 games, along with 9 TDs and 2 interceptions, his stats are extremely impressive and have proven those doubts wrong.

What gives him more edge over Caleb & Co. is his dual-threat ability. The Commanders rookie has arguably been the second-best dual-threat QB [459 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs] in the league after Lamar Jackson.

Seeing Jayden combine effectively with his RBs and WRs to strut past defenses while interchanging their positions exemplifies immense game awareness and knowledge from the rookie’s side, which is simply outstanding for someone of his experience.

So, it’s hard to see how Caleb will be able to overtake or outperform the mightily impressive Jayden Daniels, who has been mesmerizing in all respects. Caleb might just be out of the rookie race already.