Caleb Williams: Bears fans, don’t panic… yet

Relax, Bears fans. No reason to start walking the plank just yet.

Yes, there have been some rumblings coming out of Chicago Bears training camp that our “quarterback of the future,” Caleb Williams, has been struggling a bit. 

Struggling to adapt to new coach Ben Johnson’s intricate offensive scheme.  Struggling to hit receivers in stride. Struggling to avoid being intercepted. In short? Struggling. But nothing to worry about.

Hopefully.

It’s understood that you can’t blame longtime Bears fans for beinga bit leery. After all, the quarterback position for the team over the past seven decades has been sort of like a young teenager going through puberty: a long line of frustrations, followed by an occasional bright moment where you think you finally have it all figured out—only to find out you’re not even close.

It has been that bad for many, many years.

But last year, we finally drafted our savior at quarterback (at least the latest one!) in number-one-overall pick “can’t miss” Caleb Williams.  

Unfortunately, the “can’t miss” Caleb did “miss” a lot last year. Quite often, actually, as he was constantly under siege from enemy defenders who attacked him with little resistance from the Bears’ worn-out and overmatched offensive line (an area they have addressed and hopefully shored up for this season).

Despite all of the issues last year, there were some definite, clear positives, as Williams did flash the potential to finally be “the guy” with an occasional sensational throw or a dramatic, athletic run.

Fans could, at times, quite clearly see the potential. What I like best about Caleb is his leadership and competitiveness. Even though only a rookie last year, he had a clear presence in the huddle and on the sidelines with his teammates. His frustration with the losing last year was evident, while his desire to win, and at times even will his team to victory, were unquestioned positives.

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The two biggest concerns that I noticed last year were: one, his general lack of passing accuracy, including hitting receivers in stride and finding the open man in what they call “tight windows.” A problem, obviously, if it is not corrected. 

Two, despite his great speed and athleticism, Williams did not have good instincts for when to get out of the pocket and scramble or run. He stayed in the pocket too long and was sacked numerous times. Not always his fault, of course, but still, his “feel” for defensive pressure was not great, and that is cause for concern.

All that aside, optimism is sky-high for the youngster this year, as he is now paired with offensive guru and play-calling “mad scientist” new head coach Ben Johnson.

So, stay tuned. AsImentioned earlier, early reports on Caleb’s throwing have been somewhat ominous. Is it growing pains? The natural learning curve of a new system? Or possibly an ugly trend?  

We shall see, but it’s certainly well understoodthat Bears fans are nervous and more than a little shell-shocked when it comes to the beloved quarterback position.

 But hang in there, gang. It is only late July (maybe early August by the time you read this), and there is still plenty of time to get things settled in time for the opening game on Sept. 8 against the Purple People Eaters of Minnesota.

No reason to panic.  Not yet, anyways.