The Chicago Bears were not current starting quarterback Caleb Williams‘ first choice, which will likely reduce his margin for error among the franchise’s sizable fanbase moving forward after news of that fact broke last month.
According to Seth Wickersham in his recently published book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” both Williams and his father considered attempts to circumnavigate the QB’s ultimate association with Chicago via the Bears’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Instead, Williams hoped to find his way to the Minnesota Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell, which many experts around the league argue is among the best (if not the very best) situation for a young quarterback to develop and find success immediately. That theory gained legs after Sam Darnold’s career campaign there in 2024, and circumstances will test it thoroughly during second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s first season as the starter in 2025.
The knowledge of Williams’ lack of confidence and interest in Chicago, on which he ultimately backed down/changed his tune, will also test his resolve in the years to come — but particularly during this season when his seat will be the hottest among the fanbase.
“This has become a little bit of a firestorm in Chicago, and I think it’s sort of the first signal of what’s to come for Caleb there,” Alber Breer of Sports Illustrated said during the Friday, May 30 edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.”
“When you say what’s to come, you mean venom and disappointment?” Simmons asked.
“No, just the training wheels are off now. The excuses are gone,” Breer responded. “Now it’s like, you have to start playing well.”
Bears Have Stacked Roster for Caleb Williams This Offseason
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Life wasn’t so easy for Williams during his first year in Chicago, during which the team first fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (about whom Williams had pre-draft concerns) and then parted ways with head coach Matt Eberflus.
However, in the wake of that tumult arrived former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson was arguably the hottest head coaching candidate in each of the past two offseasons and his presence should open up a world of new possibilities for Williams and a revamped offense.
The updated roster includes first-round rookie tight end Colston Loveland and second-round rookie slot receiver Luther Burden III, both of whom will team up with wideouts DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Chicago also added starting offensive guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney and inked starting center Drew Dalman.
Bears Coaching Staff Asking Caleb Williams to Make Big Change to Demeanor in Year 2
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Williams suffered through a league-leading 68 sacks last season, something that was partially the fault of a poor and injured offensive line and partially the fault of the QB holding onto the football too long.
Breer told Simmons that Johnson and his staff are sympathetic to the difficulties Williams faced in Year 1. However, they also expect at least one major change in Williams’ demeanor come the Year 2.
“The stuff they’ve been working on is really how you carry yourself as a franchise quarterback, and the command you have to have to be a franchise QB. They watched tape of him taking sacks and how long it took for him to come off the ground,” Breer said. “If you’re lying on the ground for an extended period of time, you’re not picking yourself up off the ground, that’s gonna resonate with the rest of the team. … You need to be popping up off the ground after hits.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bears QB Caleb Williams Gets Stern Warning After Vikings Debacle appeared first on Heavy Sports.