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According to Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles, Caleb Williams could be on par with Patrick Mahomes. However, sports commentator Jason McIntyre put Williams in the same sentence as a less-than-stellar field general.
On the latest episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, McIntyre went out of his way to compare Williams to notorious NFL bust Johnny Manziel, per Evan Massey of Newsweek.
Essentially, McIntyre said that the Bears are utilizing Williams, who puts up numbers similar to Manziel.
“The Bears are treating Caleb Williams like a rookie, so he has to unlearn everything he learned last year,” he said. “Obviously, some of the videos aren't great. The net-missing video isn't ideal, but I have a comparison that's scary — though not off base, I think. Some pocket passing stats from Caleb Williams: 24th in passer rating, 29th in yards per attempt in the pocket, and 25th in completion percentage in the pocket. That's out of 34 quarterbacks, guys.”
“That's why my comparison is a little bit Johnny Football, some Johnny Manziel. I just wonder if Caleb is so on edge in the pocket that his confidence is shot, and his default is, ‘Let me just tuck and run and see if I can make a play.' Because that's what happened to Manziel, and he flamed out very quickly.”
Is Caleb Williams the next Johnny Football? 😬 @jasonrmcintyre pic.twitter.com/UepRfhz9T7
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 8, 2025
In 2012, Manziel was the Heisman Trophy winner out of Texas A&M. He was a dynamic passer who could also run.
That year, he threw for 3,706 yards and had 26 touchdowns. In addition. Manziel had 1,410 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
He was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
Is there a comparison between Caleb Williams and Johnny Manziel?
In 2022, Williams won the Heisman with USC. He also was the No.1 pick in the NFL Draft in 2024.
Williams operates in the same manner that Manziel did. He's improvisational and can scramble. Sometimes it can get the best of him in the form of sacks and turnovers, similar to Manziel.
However, Williams has arguably a better arm that Manziel did. He also has greater mechanics to make him into one of the most all around quarterbacks in the NFL.
Furthermore, Williams isn't prone to the off the field concerns that eventually did Manziel in.
Ultimately, Manziel's hopes were dashed due to frequent turnovers, being under prepared, along with his battle with substance abuse.
