Bear Digest

What Phil Simms Says Separates Caleb Williams from Other QBs

Former Giants QB says revisionists favoring Jayden Daniels as the draft's best QB are incorrect and applauds the Bears' decision to cut ties with Justin Fields.

Gene Chamberlain

The Notre Dame game does not define Justin Fields, says Phil Simms.
The Notre Dame game does not define Justin Fields, says Phil Simms. / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

One of the great problems with a draft held at the end of April is how much analysis occurs over the period between the end of the regular season and draft day.

Sometimes you think they had it right in the 1960s when the draft for the next year was held before the calendar year ended and football was still being played.

All the time leaves people not associated with a particular team too much time to stare at things and change their minds. This type of revisionism has happened with the assessments of quarterbacks in the draft.

While Caleb Williams remains the consensus Bears pick at No. 1, there has also been an undercurrent of alternative opinion from people like Dan Orlovsky and Merrill Hoge who say Jayden Daniels might be better than Williams. They almost seem to be gaslighting because the reasons they give for disliking Williams' play seem invalid to most who have watched him.

Super Bowl XXI MVP and former CBS analyst Phil Simms has done his own study of the quarterbacks in this draft and not only reached the same conclusion as his son, Chris, but also detailed why the Bears have made the right decision to move on to Williams from Justin Fields.

Speaking on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Simms said he found the top QB easy to name.

"When I watched all the guys real quick, to me it was clear, in my opinon, it was Caleb Williams, then it was Jayden Daniels," Simms said.

Simms said he watched several games for each quarterback first. He also has heard the criticism of Williams about the blowout loss to Notre Dame, something which Orlovsky has incessantly hollered about on ESPN.

"And when he's protected, he could stand in the pocket, read and find guys, all of that, which has kind of been a detriment to other people," Simms said. "Yeah, he had some bad games. Notre Dame. But you know, I don't know, was he responsible for picking up blitzes? They couldn't get open. Notre Dame just overwhelmed them.

"I don't look at that game and go, 'oh, that could be who he is.' There's too much of great stuff to know that physically he's got it all when it comes to being an NFL quarterback."

While Simms likes Daniels' arm and ability to pick out receivers, he sees the entire package in Williams' accuracy and arm strength.

"It's both, no doubt about it," Simms said "But the accuracy, he just has more throws. In other words, he can throw the ball with power. He can throw it with touch. He can do all of those things that you want. He's even good on the run throwing the football.

"Yeah, to me that's the big difference."

The change in QBs by the Bears doesn't surprise Simms, who finds Fields someone with the arm strength but seemingly reluctant to throw it when he had chances.

"I watched a lot of Justin Fields film this year because he's a lightning rod," Simms told Tucker. "Justin was not a good processor. He had some really rough games and everyone says the offense stinks and this, and I'd watch the tapes and watch it and go, 'there's people wide open everywhere. Wide open.'

"First read, throw it to him and he's going to get 20. And it didn't happen. Now. I thought he got a little better at the end but Caleb Williams is clearly a better passer of the football in my eyes than Justin Fields."

Simms liked Fields' athleticism and ability to take advantage of defenses spread out with his running.

"But I never looked at him and said 'Wow, he's a passer too.' Not once did I do that," Simms said. "But can he fit and have success in the NFL? Yes, big time, and I love the position that he's in now at Pittsburgh."

Simms went on and compared all of the other QBs in the draft, but it's clear in his view the Bears are making the right pick at No. 1 over all the available choices.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News