Once it became official that the Chicago Bears would be drafting Caleb Williams with the first overall draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, many believed that the USC product was inheriting the best starting situation of any rookie quarterback in NFL history. On some level, they were right. And the numbers proved it.
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Williams was able to start in all 17 games and even managed to set the team’s franchise record for most rookie passing yards, but the problem was that other key numbers were high for him as well. The 68 total sacks that he endured last year were 16 more than the next closest quarterback. But as he prepares for his Divisional Round dance with the Los Angeles Rams, Williams is facing the possibility of incurring just his 26th sack of the 2025 season.
According to Sean McVay, who will be tasked with shutting the Bears’ sophomore QB down on Sunday afternoon, Williams’ improvements can easily be attributed to “Maturity and understanding of what they are trying to do. I think he does a nice job too when they are activating some of their stuff on early downs and being able to keep the ball in play, finding check downs.”
The youngest head coach of the Super Bowl era then explained that it can be difficult to limit players who possess a similar sense of maturity and who are also “conscientious” about their decisions with the football. “They are good players and they just get better,” McVay noted at a press conference, possibly predicting a bright career for the Southern California product.
He then wrapped things up by suggesting that there is a visible level of “comfort” that exists between Williams and his new head coach, Ben Johnson. Naturally, McVay will be looking to create as much discomfort for the two of them as possible, but if you were to ask Johnson about the state of things ahead of this matchup, he’d tell you that there isn’t “a whole lot that you need to say to” Williams.
“We just make sure we’re on the same page in terms of what the situation is and what we need to accomplish and how quickly we need to accomplish it. But beyond that, it’s not like he needs a pep talk or rara or anything like that. He’s ready to go, and I’ve been saying it all along; he rises to the occasion time and time again. It’s really impressive to see a young player like this be this clutch.”
The 2025 regular season ultimately yielded what many had expected in year one, a 3,900+ passing yards and 27 touchdown season with just seven interceptions thrown on 568 attempts.
Williams even managed to claim yet another franchise record when he secured the largest comeback in Chicago’s playoff history, which dates back nearly 100 years.
Suffice to say, the 24-year-old has left no doubt that he is the future of the Bears’ organization. Now, all that’s left to do is secure the club’s first Super Bowl appearance since 2007.
