Not all great QBs hit the ground running; it’s okay if Caleb Williams struggles this season
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has given Chicago hope. In limited NFL action, Williams has shown he has the talent and the skills that made him worthy of the No.1 overall pick.
His incredible skill and draft position bring with it major expectations. Williams is already being labeled as a “savior” of the franchise. Many fans think he can become the best QB in Bears history.
Caleb Williams has the near century of quarterback woes on his shoulders. He is already being expected to become the team’s first 4,000-yard passer. Which he has the skills to do, but it’s okay if he doesn’t. It could even be a good thing if he struggles in 2024. The best quarterbacks learn from their mistakes. There is no better example of that than Peyton Manning.
Manning Mentality
Manning was also a No.1 overall draft pick in 1998. At the time the Colts were also having a bit of a prolonged QB conundrum. The Colts hadn’t had a top shelf quarterback since Johnny Unitas left the team in 1972.
A extremely hyped prospect coming out of the University of Tennessee, Manning was supposed to turn the Colts franchise around. In his rookie season, Manning was underwhelming. He finished the season with 3739 yards, 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. This performance led the Colts to a brutal 3-13 record. Not the start you want to see from your No.1 overall quarterback. But that did not ruin or even hider Manning’s progress as an NFL quarterback.
In his 17-year career, Manning only threw 20 or more interceptions one more time after his rookie outing. Manning built a Hall of Fame career on top of his sub-par rookie season.
The point of the story is, it is okay if Caleb Williams doesn’t win rookie of the year, MVP or set all the Bears franchise records in one season. As Manning showed, it is all about how you bounce back. How a QB reacts to his poor performances will tell you more about him than his on field skills.
There are plenty of highly skilled quarterbacks in the NFL. What separates the great from the elite is often the mental part of their game. An elite QB understand what he saw and why he made a mistake, He then studies that and figures out what he should do if he is met with that situation again.
An elite quarterback doesn’t stay upset or angry, he moves on. No matter how bad things are on any give gameday, the best keep playing like they normally would.
Williams showed a flash of this in pre-season week one versus Buffalo. Caleb Williams threw a nice pass to Rome Odunze for a big gain. The play was called back due to a flag on the offense. Bears tight end Cole Kmet noticed how that play did not deter Williams. Kmet stated that most guys would shy away from making that play again after that, but Williams didn’t. He kept looking for that play for the rest of his playing time.
That is a great example of what a championship caliber QB does. Sheds off misfortune or bad play to keep doing his best. If the QB adopts this approach, the rest of the team is likely to follow suit.
What would it take for Caleb Williams to break all the Bears passing records?
The bar for becoming the best Bears quarterback is quite low. The Chicago Bears have never had a rookie or veteran quarterback throw for 4,000 yards. That record (3,838 yards) was set back in 1995 by Erik Kramer. Kramer also holds the record for most passing touchdowns in a season with 29.
These are not huge obstacles to overcome, but it is pressure. The Bears are notorious for being a quarterback graveyard. The Bears have had 29 starting quarterbacks since 2000. Only bested by the Cleveland Browns who have had 38 starting QBs since their return to the NFL in 1999.
Takeaways
If Caleb Williams has a poor or even bad rookie season, that is okay. What matter most is what he does after that. Nick Saban told Bears head coach Matt Eberflus that expectations ruin quarterbacks, if they let it affect them. Saban used Manning as his personal example to what a QB should do if he struggles. Easier said than done, but the greatest all do it.
Caleb Williams should take note of Peyton Manning and shut out all the noise. If he can do that, the sky is truly the limit for the Bears new signal caller.
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