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Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Injury Update After Franchise Record 58 Sacks

The Chicago Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams dropped their eighth consecutive game, a 30-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, their NFC North rival. The former USC Trojans star struggled against Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the Vikings’ fourth-ranked scoring defense. 

Kyron Samuels

Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams dropped their eighth consecutive game, falling to 4-10 with a 30-12 loss to their NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. While the final score appears lopsided, and watching the game felt like a one-sided affair, the Bears had their chances throughout the game to make it a close encounter. The former USC Trojans star struggled against Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the Vikings’ fourth-best scoring defense in the NFL.

Williams’ final stats read respectable, and he made his fair share of customary improvisation. There were times when he extended plays and made tight-window throws. When Williams was at his best, the ball came out of his hands fast and decisive. And despite all the noise, the rookie quarterback showed plenty of toughness, taking a beating from the Vikings’ defensive unit that got after him for four quarters. 

“Let’s put it in this context. Say you get in three car accidents in a month. You’re going to feel it. That’s what a hit is in football, if y’all didn’t know. Getting hit, especially when you can’t deliver a hit to somebody, as in like when you run the ball, you take those over an amount of time and it builds up. But like I said before, got to do well with hydrating, do well with working out and all that, and stay to my routine. You know, it’s kept me healthy throughout the whole year, and got to keep going," said Williams in his postgame press conference.

Williams has been sacked 58 times this season. That’s the most in Bears franchise history for a single season and the third-most in NFL history for a rookie quarterback. Only David Carr and Bryce Young have been sacked more. While that reality has a lot to do with the constant rotation of offensive linemen and the three offensive coordinators Williams has had to work with during his rookie season, accountability is needed for the young quarterback.

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It’s becoming a broken record. The Bears get off to a slow start, the Bears give up early points, and the Bears offense presses to get back in the ball game. It’s the least conducive formula to succeed in the NFL.

For a rookie quarterback with a poor pass-blocking offensive line and a well-below-average running game, success has been hard to come by for Chicago's offense. That said, Williams has to speed up his process. 

It can’t always be poor spacing in the route concept or a whiff from an offensive lineman that sends the rookie into spiraling playmaker mode. Throwing the ball away and taking the check-downs is what’s required. Williams has shown the ability to do so at a high level. The consistency has to catch up to the talent level. On the other hand, there are throws Williams just flat-out misses. These aren’t unusual for any quarterback, but Williams missing about two to three throws a game stands out simply because of the low efficiency of the offense.

The game is already in the most difficult setting possible, so those missed opportunities can’t happen. Whether it’s a technique issue, miscommunication on where he’s expecting his receivers to be, or the attrition from being hit and pressured so much, Williams has to rise above. There’s never going to be a balanced discussion for a number one overall pick that was as hyped as Williams was coming out of college in a major market like Chicago.

There’s no time for nuance, unfortunately. Yes, the offensive line is bad, the run game is below average at best, and the receivers are inconsistent. The play calling and play callers have been all over the place, and Williams has simply had bad luck at times like the Commanders game, but the former Trojan is still expected to overcome it all. He has opportunities to make the climb easier on himself by getting better at the details. 

"The encouraging part is us as a team . . . being able to go through all of what's happened this year. Me not playing well at the beginning of the season and feeling like I was seeing it well and then being able to find ways to keep growing, keep progressing through those times that I was frustrated. Coaches getting fired and all of this stuff going on, 4-10 right now. Being able to wake up, be consistent, do that every day with how it's been going is encouraging for me. It's encouraging for this team and we've got to keep going. It's been encouraging but also frustrating for myself," continued Williams. 

The positive attitude is a bonus at this stage. Having lost more than any point in his career and taking a physical beating, the rookie is still going forward. On a positive note, Caleb Williams has gone eight straight starts without throwing an interception. Per OptaStats, the Bears have lost all eight, and no other quarterback in NFL history has had a streak of more than five consecutive starts where he didn't throw a pick but still lost since quarterback starts were first tracked in 1950.

Despite the loss tonight, Caleb Williams has extended his NFL rookie record for most consecutive passes without throwing an interception to 286 passes. This is also the longest active streak in the NFL and a Bears franchise record. Even through the frustration, there are plenty of small victories. Williams is closing in on 3,000 yards, has 17 passing touchdowns to five interceptions, and is completing 62 percent of his passes.

Through all the turmoil, it’s still one of the best seasons for a Bears quarterback ever.

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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