Caleb Williams Will “Get the Anthony Richardson Treatment” if He Doesn’t Blossom This Season, Says Ryan Clark

When the Chicago Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick last year, the hype among fans was so immense that the QB broke Fanatics’ record for draft-night merchandise sales across all sports. Bears fans believed Williams could finally end their long search for a franchise quarterback.

However, Williams’ rookie season was anything but a dream come true. The Bears limped to a 5-12 record. Williams was sacked 68 times (tied for the third-most in NFL history), and head coach Matt Eberflus was fired midseason.

Despite the debacle, Bears fans’ hopes for the USC product remain undeterred. That’s partly because of his Heisman-winning college history and the changes in the roster and coaching staff.

The Bears this summer revamped their offensive line by signing Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman. They also drafted new playmakers in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Add in the hiring of former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach, and it’s evident that the Bears have given Williams the perfect environment to succeed.

However, Williams’ training camp performance so far has been uneven. Reports from the camp have stated that he was making sloppy pre-snap mistakes, including three delay-of-game penalties during the Family Fest scrimmage. There was also a viral clip that came out of Williams missing targets in a QB net drill.

While there have been flashes, such as a deep touchdown to Rome Odunze, Williams’ inconsistency has raised concerns. This is why ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark has issued a stark warning.

“If Caleb Williams doesn’t play well, he’s gonna get the Anthony Richardson treatment,” Clark said. By that, the analyst explained, he meant the Bears would bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with Williams if his progress stalls.

“When I listen to Ben Johnson, he doesn’t sound like a patient man… If he doesn’t feel comfortable with Caleb’s progression, they’re going to bring in someone who can play under center, who can execute the run game to the pass game… and if he doesn’t win that competition, it’s gonna be Caleb Williams having to go somewhere else to ply his trade,” Clark continued.

But not everyone agrees with this take. Clay Harbor, a nine-year NFL veteran, pushed back on Clark’s opinion by directly comparing Williams’ rookie-year stats to Anthony Richardson’s.

“Richardson last year: 1,814 yards, 8 TDs, 12 INTs, 61 rating, 47% completion. Williams: 3,541 yards, 20 TDs, 5 INTs, 88 rating, 62.5% completions,” Harbor pointed out, before giving a blunt conclusion. “These guys aren’t the same.”

Objectively, Harbor’s claims are valid because while Williams clearly has areas to improve, his body of work already sets him apart from Richardson’s early struggles. Not to mention, the Bears star has a successful history in college football compared to Richardson, who only started in 13 CFB games.