Caleb Williams hype is ahead of schedule according to former NFL QB
With the Caleb Williams hype train at full speed in Chicago and around the league, one former NFL quarterback is telling Chicago Bears fans to pump the brakes on their expectations for the rookie signal caller this season. Shaun King, who played six seasons in the NFL, gave his analysis of Caleb Williams on the Bernstein & Holmes Show on 670 The Score Thursday afternoon, and it didn’t sit too well with Bears fans.
When asked by Laurence Holmes how he evaluates a quarterback in preseason, King had a lot to say regarding what he looks for and how Caleb Williams has done so far.
“So for me, all I’m looking for are little idiosyncrasies that the casual fan has no idea is transpiring. The first thing I want to see is how calm are they when it becomes chaotic? Does it look like they’re able to go through the progressions within the structure of the pocket and deliver the ball accurately, that’s the first thing I’m looking for because sustainable quarterback play starts there. I think he [Caleb] struggles really really badly with that first concept that I’m looking to see, but he excels at the elite trait part, if that makes sense.”
When asked to give an example of one of Williams’ struggles, King replied : “Caleb seems to still be struggling throwing the ball on time in rhythm, and his spectacular plays are because of his spectacular talent.”
These are sobering words for Bears fans to hear after so many analysts have hyped up Williams’ play through the preseason. Some have even predicted the Bears to make the playoffs and contend for the Super Bowl. This point was brought up by Dan Bernstein, who mentioned that if King is correct in his analysis of Williams’ struggles, that people are going to have to downgrade their expectations of the Bears as a whole this season.
“Oh yea ya’ll are delusional, like ya’ll are on Cowboy fanbase delusion level. Every Bear fan I talk to, they’re talking NFC Championship, they’re talking double-digit win season. For context, I have the Bears going 7-10, because I’m more of a realistic person.”
King went on to mention how young the Bears still are and how the division is much stronger than in years past, with Detroit and Green Bay looking to be viable threats. He also said that he expects Williams to learn and correct his mistakes as he grows as an NFL quarterback.
.@realshaunking on Bears fans: "Y’all are delusional. Y’all are on Cowboys fan base delusion level. Every Bears fan I talk to, they’re talking NFC Championship. They’re talking double-digit win season. I have the Bears going 7-10."
Watch full segment: https://t.co/9V1lt3jS7R pic.twitter.com/EugiUKa8TH
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) August 22, 2024
Chicago Bears fans shouldn’t lower expectations
As a former NFL quarterback, Shaun King knows what he’s talking about. You don’t need to be a Hall of Fame quarterback to be able to point out where a young quarterback is struggling. However, what King doesn’t know is what Williams’ learning curve will look like. Some quarterbacks take years to learn. Some have to sit and marinate behind a veteran (see Aaron Rodgers). But Caleb Williams could very well be a quick developer and learn much quicker, making King’s 7-10 prediction just that – a prediction.
King also didn’t take into account the supreme talent that surrounds Williams on the offense, or what would happen should the offensive line hold up much better than some expect. The Bears are also expected to have a top-five defense this season, further adding to the narrative of a healthier win total.
While I respect King’s analysis and can see where Williams will likely have some growing pains, I have to disagree on a seven-win season. I fall in the middle of being overly excited and overly skeptical. 10 wins is very possible for a team with this much talent on both sides of the ball, even with a rookie quarterback who is learning as he goes. So Bears fans, take a moment to exhale and simply enjoy the ride. It may get bumpy at times, but it’s sure to be thrilling as well.
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