In Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” Caleb Williams shared some candid details on his rookie season with the Chicago Bears under former head coach Matt Eberflus.
One of the most talked-about revelations from Williams was the struggle he had with film study. According to Wickersham, Caleb told his father, Carl Williams: “No one tells me what to watch. I just turn it on.”
Leaked excerpts from the book portray a scenario in which Williams was largely left to navigate the complexities of the NFL and the film room on his own, with no one walking him through game tape or telling him how best to prepare for the week ahead.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to watch film,” Williams clarified when asked about that part of Wickersham’s book, via ESPN. “It was more or less the sense of … learning ways to watch film and be more efficient. Learning ways to pick up things better.”
Eberflus, who was became the first head coach to be fired mid-season in franchise history by the Bears last year, was hired as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator this offseason. In a June 13 interview on The Doomsday Podcast, Eberflus responded to Williams’ film room comments for the first time.
Matt Eberflus’ Response to Caleb Williams’ Comments About Watching Film in 2024: Not What I Saw
GettyFormer head coach Matt Eberflus says quarterback Caleb Williams’ comments about watching film weren’t accurate.
The Bears appeared on the TV series “Hard Knocks” in 2024, and some of the footage shown featured Eberflus sitting down to talk with Williams. It felt semi-curated to say the least, and those covering the Bears closely know how often Williams seemed to cry out for more tough coaching.
When asked about Williams saying no one told him what to watch film, or sat down with him to watch it, Eberflus refuted that idea entirely.
“I would say this, that in the development of the quarterback position, and really all positions, at my time at the Bears, we always had daily coached film sessions,” Eberflus said. “That was out there through the entire year. So that’s what I observed and that’s where it was.”
Flus also revealed why he chose to return to Dallas, a place he had previously served as linebackers coach and passing game coordinator from 2011-2017. Jerry Jones was at the top of the list. Quarterback Dak Prescott was a close second.
“Secondly … really, to me, it was Dak Prescott,” Eberflus added. “When he was a rookie, we drafted him here, what did he go, 9-1, the first 10 games? … I know what’s inside his heart and what kind of man he is and what kind of leader he is. So to me, that was a slam dunk.”
Williams & the Bears Have a Chance to Start Fresh in 2025
Whether Eberflus’ comments about Prescott were an indirect slight on Williams or not, the Bears and Williams have moved on. Now led by the offensive-minded Ben Johnson, they have a chance to start over after a tumultuous 2024 campaign under Eberflus.
Chicago finished 5–12, underwent multiple midseason coaching changes and finished with the most sacks allowed (68) in the league last year. Despite this, Williams still posted solid individual numbers (3,541 passing yards, 20 TDs, 6 INTs).
Now, under Johnson, Williams has a new set of teachers to show him the ropes.
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