It’s easy to look at the Chicago Bears on paper this season and believe the offense, led by quarterback Caleb Williams, has taken a significant step forward under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The team sits at 4-3 and has looked far more competent than it did during Williams’s rookie year.
Still, Williams’ game has apparent flaws, and one former NFL scout recently made a surprising claim about the young quarterback, stating that he is not yet a good player.
What did an Ex-NFL Scout Say About Caleb Williams?
Williams has had an up-and-down 2025 season. At times, he looks worthy of the No. 1 overall pick the Bears used on him in the 2024 NFL Draft, and at other times, he struggles.
In Chicago’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, it was one of those games where he didn’t look great. Williams completed 25 of 38 passes for 285 yards and one interception, missing the easy throws more often than not.
On the “Colin Cowherd Podcast,” former NFL scout John Middlekauff gave a blunt assessment of Williams, saying that while the Bears have performed well, the quarterback lacks rhythm, shows inconsistent accuracy, and isn’t a good player overall.
“He has not played well,” Middlekauff said. “The team has. The running back has played well, and the defense has played well. The quarterback has not. How many times today with Caleb, guys in the flat, even on completions, they have to stop and catch a ball? There’s no rhythm to his game. I think Caleb isn’t remotely a good player.”
Those may seem like harsh words, but Middlekauff has a point. In 2025, Williams ranks 19th among NFL quarterbacks in PFSN’s QBi metric, with a passer rating of 89.0 and a 61.9% completion rate.
Those numbers aren’t terrible, but they aren’t impressive or even average. Middlekauff’s claim that Williams isn’t “remotely a good player” is harsh and likely over the top, yet the fact remains that he hasn’t looked great in 2025.
What’s notable about Williams’ struggles, as Middlekauff points out, is that he often misses the easy throws. While Williams undoubtedly has some of the best natural talent in the NFL, he struggles to sit in the pocket and deliver consistently in the short to intermediate range, which is essential for success in the league.
His inability to hit receivers in the flat or give them opportunities after the catch has stalled many of the Bears’ drives this season. If Williams doesn’t improve in that area, Chicago is likely to continue struggling.
Williams has only made 24 NFL starts, so it’s far too early to be as blunt as Middlekauff. Still, he isn’t close to living up to the Bears’ expectations when they selected him first overall.
