The Chicago Bears‘ 10-game losing streak wore on Caleb Williams last season. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft went through two head coaches and three offensive coordinators in his rookie campaign.
The Bears went into the bye week with a 4-2 record after blowing out the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16 in London on Oct. 13. Williams wouldn’t taste victory again until Chicago knocked off the Green Bay Packers 24-22 in Week 18 at Lambeau Field.
That was nearly three months of losing.
The Chicago Bears made Caleb Williams cry
In an interview with Brian O’Keefe of Esquire, Williams claimed he now views the losing streak as a part of his learning curve in the league.
“I think those losses were pretty important for me and my growth,” Williams said. “To go on a losing streak, to be in this position and be at the helm of it, was definitely important for me. Just being able to see how I need to be when times are bad. I’m going to work my tail off to never be in that situation again.”
The lesson was painful for the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. Williams said he cried at night after losses toward the end of the season.
“When I got home, I got in my bed. I just dropped a few tears,” Williams said. “And I was just so beat-up mentally, physically, spiritually.”
Williams isn’t afraid to show his emotions. Following USC’s loss to Washington in USC, television cameras caught Williams crying in his mother’s arms.
Caleb Williams was emotional after USC's loss to Washington pic.twitter.com/6SzGP9Cn4h
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 5, 2023
Players were annoyed with Matt Eberflus
One loss stood out to Williams more than the other 11. He thinks the Bears’ loss to the Washington Commanders was a pivotal point in the season.
Following Chicago’s loss to the Commanders, former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision not to have his secondary guard the sidelines on the penultimate play of the game, allowing the Commanders to complete a pass upfield and get out of bounds. The extra yardage made Washington’s successful Hail Mary much easier.
Eberflus said that play didn’t “really matter” because Chicago would have had to stop Washington on the final play of the game anyway.
Williams said players were “annoyed” at Eberflus’ reasoning.
“How he handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by,” Williams said.
Eberflus is gone and Williams has Ben Johnson coaching him in 2025. Hopefully, the partnership will lead to fewer tears.
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