Oftentimes in the NFL, quarterbacks aren’t given time to develop. For Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, it’s no different. After last week’s 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, people wasted no time giving their thoughts on Williams.
“Caleb Williams is literally awful by every metric and eye test but Bears fans think he’s a franchise guy,” one person wrote.
“Bo Nix and Drake Maye doing a lot more with a lot less than Caleb Williams. These are simply the facts,” another person wrote.
Well, it seems like a lot of people are coming to conclusions way too fast, and ESPN’s Ben Solak provided an encouraging comparison for Williams, which should ease the nerves of many Bears fans.
Caleb Williams: The Next Josh Allen?
GettyIs Caleb Williams on the same career path as Josh Allen?
In fact, Solak compares Williams’ career not to another No. 1 overall pick, such as Kyler Murray or Trevor Lawrence, but to Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen.
“It might seem like Williams is destined for the same path as Kyler Murray Trevor Lawrence — a first-round pick talented enough to get a big second contract but not consistent enough to ever win with that cap weight hanging around his neck,” Solak wrote. “We might eventually end up there. But even Murray and Lawrence were not and are not as physically talented as this. As such, I have an alternative career arc comp to make: Josh Allen.
Through Allen’s first two pro seasons, he had an off-target rate of 23.5%. Williams is at 21.3%. Like Williams, Allen was clearly physically capable of making all the requisite throws. But he was excitable in the pocket, his mechanics vacillated from throw to throw, and his shot selection was high difficulty. The light bulb went on for Allen in Year 3 under Brian Daboll — and after plenty of private offseason work on his mechanics. The light bulb can come on for Williams just the same, if he does the work, and the football-consuming public gives him the time.”
Admittedly, Allen looked like a bust early in his career. But with time, he was able to grow into the superstar that he is today.
The hope is that Williams is also able to become the superstar quarterback Bears fans desperately want, and what he needs most right now is time.
Williams on the Jared Goff/Ben Johnson Timeline
If this wasn’t enough to calm the nerves, Mike Sando of The Athletic pointed to Jared Goff’s timeline learning under Ben Johnson in Detroit, which showed a massive growth Goff had from games 8-17.
Well, Williams is heading into Game 8 under Johnson. Perhaps this foreshadows Williams’ surge into one of the top QBs in the NFL? Only time will tell.
For now, trust the process and let’s give Williams time to develop. He has all the tools to succeed, but there’s no doubt he has to perform at a higher level.
And the hope is he can have a Josh Allen-like resurgence and show everyone why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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