The Caleb Williams experiment has been a weird one this season. While he came into the league with a ton of hype and showing clear generational talent, the immediate results haven’t been ideal. His passing numbers have been decent behind a shaky O-Line, but the Chicago Bears aren’t blowing anyone away.
Instead, with a 4-10 record, Williams has been far from the best QB in the class so far. Names like Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and Drake Maye have all had flashes comparable to or better than the No. 1 overall pick from 2024. However, with an Monday Night Football defeat against the Minnesota Vikings, Williams got some advice from a former Super Bowl champion.
James Jones Gives Caleb Williams a Reality Check
The situation became a topic of conversation during the aforementioned MNF game. While on the sideline, Williams was grimacing and acting despondent overall. Beyond the number of hits he’s taken this season, the downtrodden attitude wasn’t what any Chicago fan wanted to see.
Speaking on “The Facility,” former Green Bay Packers Super Bowl champion James Jones was harsh in his takedown of Williams. “First off, Caleb Williams, he needs to mature mentally. We can’t give him the excuse — every rookie in the National Football League been playing football and he’s the only rookie out here with body language like this.”
To Jones, the long face wasn’t going to do Williams or the team any favors. Moreover, the lack of energy and spirit was borderline sacrilegious on the field. “When we take this football field, when we take this basketball court, it is body language and effort.”
"Caleb Williams needs to mature mentally."
— @89JonesNTAF pic.twitter.com/fl7e2WVGAD
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) December 17, 2024
To him, the attitude was more important than committing errors. “You know what, mistakes are gonna happen. You are a rookie, Shady. Mistakes are gonna happen. It’s our job as coaches to coach those mistakes. Don’t get frustrated, don’t get down on yourself, body language, head up, that’s what we’re taught as a young kid.”
While he did understand the position the rookie was in, his responsibilities as a leader had to take priority. “You’re frustrated, you feeling sorry for yourself, all that, you not winning, I understand all that. I been through that. Body language, dawg.”
The reason? “You one of the better players on the team. Your teammates are looking at you, dawg. In the timeouts, pop up, cheer them backups on. This is simple, dawg…You are a leader, bruh. You gotta mature mentally. You gotta understand you’re a rookie.”
From a statistical standpoint, the season as a whole has been decent for the USC product. In total, he already has 2,937 passing yards to go along with 408 rushing yards. Additionally, he has 17 TDs to go along with just five INTs.
However, what hurts his case is a deeper look into those numbers. For one, his completion percentage of 61.9% is far from ideal. The 87.7 passer rating, too, leaves a lot to be desired, whereas the 58 sacks on the season are a total abomination. Even though he should end up in the top five of most passing yards for a Bears QB ever, the season hasn’t been great for Williams.
Most importantly, his numbers haven’t translated to wins. For most people, Chicago was playoff-bound with a strong WR room, elite defense, and a generational rookie coming in. However, Year 1 has effectively gone down the drain. At 4-10, their playoff hopes are over and the team has to focus on retooling themselves.
With on-field play and off-field maturity being called into question, Williams has a tall order in front of him.
