From breaking Fanatics’ draft night merchandise sales to being considered by many as the most pro-ready quarterback since Andrew Luck, Caleb Williams entered the NFL with a level of hype that few players ever experience.
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Unsurprisingly, the expectation from the USC alumni a year before was simple: be The Guy and finally solve the Chicago Bears’ years-long quarterback conundrum. But what unfolded during his rookie season felt less like a Hollywood origin story and more like a cautionary tale about how brutal this league can be.
The Bears started hot, jumping out to a 4–2 record. It looked like the franchise had finally found its footing. But then, the wheels fell off. Ten straight losses, a 5–12 finish, bottom of NFC North, and a head coach fired mid-season—something that had never happened in Bears history.
Brutally enough, things weren’t going well for Caleb himself, as he was sacked a league-high 68 times and left battered in more ways than one. This losing season was the stuff of nightmares for the star QB, who had never lost this many games in a season.
Naturally, this experience didn’t just hurt his stat line; it took a toll on him too. “When I got home, I got in my bed. I just dropped a few tears,” Williams admitted in his recent interview with Esquire. “And I was just so beat-up mentally, physically, spiritually.”
For a player who’s always been known for his confidence, this kind of vulnerability is rare. But Williams doesn’t hide from it—he sees value in the pain. “I think those losses were pretty important for me and my growth,” he said. “To go on a losing streak, to be in this position and be at the helm of it, was definitely important for me.”
Rather than wallow, Williams escaped to Copenhagen, Denmark after the regular season to beat the blues, where he’s been recharging with his girlfriend Alina Thyregod. There, he’s been sipping ginger beer, studying plays on his iPad, and plotting his redemption. “I’m going to work my tail off to never be in that situation again,” he promised.
Williams’ honesty reminds us that even the most hyped athletes feel the weight. The fact that he admitted how bogged down he felt after his rough debut season says a lot about the expectations teams place on a highly touted rookie quarterback.
Now, all eyes will be on Williams in his second year. We’ll find out if the Bears star is truly the superhero he set out to be — because in this league, it’s easier to be a bust than a legend.
