It wasn’t all bad, Chicago Bears fans.
The team dropped its fourth straight, falling 20-19 to the Green Bay Packers Week 11, but rookie quarterback Caleb Williams played one of the best games of his young career.
Williams completed 23 of 31 passes (74.2 completion percentage) for 231 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, also rushing for 70 yards on nine carries. The first overall pick in the 2024 draft, Williams has taken responsibility for the offense’s recent struggles, apologizing to his teammates for his uneven performances this season while also acknowledging his role in the team’s difficulties.
After the loss to the Packers, Williams revealed his former head coach at USC, Lincoln Riley — who some analysts believe is a contender to head to the Windy City to coach Williams in the future — called him to check in and offer a little advice.
“It’s something that he told me my freshman year when I wasn’t in a position I wanted to be in, which was I wasn’t starting at the time. He told me to keep going,” Williams said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
“At that time, I didn’t necessarily know what those two words meant. I wanted to hear a little bit more than that, and that’s what he told me. I use those words to this day. … That’s all I can do. That’s all we can do is keep going, keep our head down and find ways to win. We’re going to keep doing that.”
Lincoln Riley & Caleb Williams Have Longstanding Relationship
Williams and Riley began working together at the University of Oklahoma in 2021, which later continued at USC (Williams announced his transfer to USC in 2022, where he reunited with Riley, who had been hired as the Trojans’ coach after the 2021 season).
Under Riley’s guidance at USC, Williams flourished. His stellar performance throughout the 2022 season earned him the AP College Football Player of the Year award, as well as the prestigious Heisman Trophy, making him USC’s first winner since running back Reggie Bush in 2005. Williams led the NCAA with 42 passing touchdowns that season.
During the 2024 NFL draft, Riley discussed Williams’ character and readiness for the professional level, reinforcing his belief in Williams’ capabilities. It’s clear the current USC head coach is rooting for his former QB, and we’re not saying it’s a good idea, but considering their connection and history together, Riley is a name to watch if the Bears move on from current head coach Matt Eberflus.
Some Believe Lincoln Riley Is Top Contender to Coach the Bears in Some Capacity in the Future
The loss to Green Bay came less than a week after the Bears’ decision to fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replace him with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay named Riley a potential OC candidate before the team promoted Brown, so some are already thinking about Riley heading to Chicago.
“Linking back up with Williams could be exactly what both the coach and player need to rejuvenate their respective careers,” Kay wrote on November 12.
“Riley would be a slam-dunk hire for the Bears. He’s overseen some of college football’s top offenses since he began coordinating under Bob Stoops back in 2015 and has continued to call plays since becoming a head coach for the first time in 2017. He’s developed three of the last seven Heisman winners—all quarterbacks—and clearly knows how to get the most out of a signal-caller.”
Analyst Colin Cowherd also mentioned Riley as a possibility in Chicago back in September.
Installing a system that Williams thrived in — the No. 1 overall pick racked up 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns against only five interceptions during his Heisman-winning season — could have a transformative effect on Chicago’s offensive output. It could also be a disaster.
The loss to Green Bay marked Williams’ fourth consecutive outing without a passing touchdown, but the Bears have never fired a head coach during the regular season and likely won’t start now.
Thus, Williams has little choice but to heed Riley’s advice and keep going.
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