By now, even if you've only been loosely paying attention to the offseason that the Chicago Bears have had in 2024, you're aware that the arrival of former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams has folks in the Windy City feeling pretty optimistic about both the present and the future for the Monsters of the Midway. Williams arrives in the NFL with an ironclad collegiate resume and a skillset that executives adore, in large part because it's something of a conglomeration of Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers.
The Bears, having selected Caleb Williams with the 1st overall pick in April's NFL Draft, obviously did their due diligence during the lengthy pre-Draft process. From the top of the organization to the bottom, everyone knew what they were getting from the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. But even a couple of weeks into training camp, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is still in awe of what Williams can do with the ball in his hands, and more specifically, what kind of throws he's capable of making on the run.
“It's pretty exceptional. He's pretty accurate there,” Eberflus said, per a tweet from Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “It's pretty amazing.”
The M.O. on Caleb Williams coming out of USC was that the 22-year-old was already a surgeon in the pocket, more than willing to coolly step up in order to by himself time and make a big time throw down the field. But it's his Mahomesian/Rodgers-esque improvisational ability to navigate out of the pocket and make a throw on the move that raises his ceiling so drastically. I mean seriously, how many guys can make this throw?
We're talking about an under pressure, on the run, across his body dime, friends. If Caleb Williams is a surgeon in the pocket, then he's an ER physician when he's on the move, using his brilliance to excel in the most chaotic of situations.
Will Caleb Williams' improvisational genius work in Chicago?
Caleb Williams is a big play hunter, and while there is certainly an upside to this, it could be something that ends up being a detriment, particularly if he relies on it too much early on in his NFL career as he's still getting acclimated with the speed of the game. The speed of the game was rarely a problem for Williams while he was at USC, but scouts taking a more skeptical approach to Caleb Williams will note just how long he held onto the ball, and how this isn't likely to work quite as well at the next level.
But there's nothing about Williams' tape that suggests he's going to be reckless or in over his head in the NFL. During his 2022 Heisman campaign, Williams ranked 8th nationally in total 1st downs when facing pressure, according to Brandon Lundberg of Football Scout 365. Throughout his entire college career, Williams threw only one red zone interception, and just 14 total picks in his 1,099 pass attempts, per Dave Richard of CBS Sports.
Things won't be as easy for Caleb Williams with the Bears as they did when he was suiting up for the USC Trojans, at least not right away, but there's a solid group of weapons in place in Chicago that should make his transition a little smoother than most rookie quarterbacks have.
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