The Chicago Bears are not having the 2024 season that they imagined during the offseason. Chicago is 4-5 heading into Week 11 and is reeling amid a three-game losing streak. The vibes around the team went from bad to worse after Matt Eberflus fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday.

Nothing has gone according to plan for Chicago in 2024, including the development of QB Caleb Williams. The first overall pick has had many ups and downs through nine games and has struggled to find his footing.

Eberflus made some eyebrow-raising comments about Williams at Wednesday press conference.

“He needs reps,” Eberflus said on Wednesday, per beat reporter Sean Hammond. “All rookie quarterbacks need reps.”

Eberflus followed that comment up with what feels like a soft launch for the idea of benching Caleb Williams.

“We look at everything week to week, what's best for the football team,” Eberflus said.

It would be mildly surprising if the Bears actually moved away from Caleb Williams during his rookie season. Williams has not been terrible, but he is not living up to his generational talent billing. He has thrown for 1,785 passing yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions so far this season.

If the Bears do bench Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent will likely step into the starting lineup.

NFL insider claims that Bears QB Caleb Williams appears ‘rattled' amid losing streak

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes against the New England Patriots during the first half at Soldier Field.
David Banks-Imagn Images

The vibes surrounding the Bears and QB Caleb Williams appear to be the next facet of the team under the microscope.

Now that Shane Waldron has been replaced as OC, the pressure will be on Williams to succeed with the presumed problem now gone. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently shed some light on why that might be a lot to ask.

“Sources are saying Williams looks rattled — that he has become tentative, trying to avoid mistakes. That has affected fundamentals such as footwork and timing,” Fowler reported on Wednesday.

This reporting does seem to match up with the product on the field. Williams has continued to lean on bad habits like holding onto the ball and trying to produce outside the structure of the offense lately. These skills have served him well in college football, but they are not enough to find success against NFL-caliber competition.

Next up for the Bears is a Week 11 showdown against the Packers. If the Bears can win that game, perhaps they can turn things around during the second half of the season.