LAKE FOREST, Ailing. — When the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the primary general decide, expectations have been centered on the crew climbing out of a two-year rebuild and into the class of NFC contenders.
The other has taken place via an eight-game dropping streak that dropped the Bears to 4-10 after an encouraging begin to the season. Whereas fellow rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have their groups in line for the playoffs, Williams is left to type via the inner struggles that are available in a dropping season.
That is new territory for Williams, who performed 37 video games between Oklahoma and USC. The Bears’ 10 losses in 2024 make up the whole the rookie was part of over three school seasons.
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Studying the way to not let the dropping change into all-consuming has been an added problem.
“Shedding is a type of issues that actually impacts me,” Williams stated. “It is powerful. However I do have the understanding of the place I am at in my profession and the place I will be at. Having that [understanding] is essential for me, myself internally, as a result of internally it is powerful. Internally, when powerful occasions occur, simply human nature is to do the other of what you are doing or what you’ve got been doing and all these various things. The hardest half is preventing your self, particularly when there’s powerful occasions.”
Throughout powerful stretches, Williams stated he writes down particular issues he plans to work on within the offseason, a listing that at the moment has “5 to eight” objects he’ll give attention to on the fruits of his rookie season.
“I’d say all from pre-snap stuff to even post-snap, whether or not it is footwork, whether or not it is pre-snap and recognizing what they’re in, in the event that they rotate to right here, how briskly can I get to this, how briskly can I get to that route, this alert, that alert,” he stated. “So, I obtained a great quantity of stuff that I am planning on going over.”
The quarterback has additionally relied on optimistic self-talk to stave off the discouragement that comes with every loss.
“That is going to sound loopy, however you discuss to your self, to be sincere,” Williams stated. “You inspire your self, you encourage your self. You could have optimistic affirmations, is the phrase, that you just say to your self. With that, it makes the times higher, it makes once you’re going via a troublesome patch, it makes these days just a little bit simpler relatively than pulling your self down, telling your self you are this and that.
“Like I stated, it sounds type of loopy, however I inform myself sure issues: ‘I’m nice. I might be nice.’ All these various things. So, I believe that is one of many greatest issues, will not be pulling your self down and being gracious with your self.”
One among Williams’ essential frustrations has been his accuracy points. The rookie has been off-target on 21.4% of throws this season, which ranks thirty second out of 34 certified QBs (Anthony Richardson, 25.5% and Bryce Younger, 22.8%).
“It is irritating,” Williams stated. “I hate lacking passes, particularly ones that I have been fairly constant on for a great period of time. That is coming. The progress has, over this soccer season, it has been rising for myself and issues like that of routes and combos of routes put collectively and seeing all these totally different defenses and throwing all these footworks collectively. The progress has been on a gentle pattern upwards, however I’d say it’s fairly irritating on lacking a few of these passes that I’ve missed.”
Williams can also be probably the most sacked quarterback (58) via 15 weeks of the season. Throughout “Monday Night time Soccer,” cameras captured the quarterback in seen ache on Chicago’s bench after being hit thrice and sacked twice.
Requested postgame in regards to the cumulative impact of those repeated hits, Williams rejected the notion that they’ve taken a psychological toll on his well-being.
Whereas Bears interim coach Thomas Brown spoke to the methods he might help Williams keep away from taking important hits, he, too, agrees that the cumulative impact will not faze the younger QB. “Not with him, I do not,” Brown stated. “I do not.”
