Advice for Caleb Williams from Former No. 1: 'Be Old and Slow'

Former overall No. 1 pick urges Caleb Williams not to wear his cape most of the time in the NFL or end up like Justin Fields.

Nov 4, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) reacts before / Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

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One former No. 1 draft pick overall has offered sage advice to this year's projected No. 1.

It's probably not what you'd expect to hear.

The first player ever drafted by the Houston Texans, David Carr, says Bears projected No. 1 pick overall Caleb Williams needs to act like he's "slow and fat."

Carr, brother of Saints QB Derek Carry, isn't suggesting Williams retire before his career begins and sit in front of the tube on Sundays with a platter full of snacks. Rather, he hopes Williams decides to take the easy play in the NFL instead of trying to do the impossible like at USC.

"I really don't like the fit" 👀@DCarr8 thinks Jayden Daniels fits better in Chicago than Caleb Williams pic.twitter.com/H16jQUId28

— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) March 8, 2024

"Like I tell Derek all the time, throw that cape on, like, twice a game, three times a game, when you absolutely have to," David Carr said. "Like, that's when it matters. But the rest of the time, pretend like you're slow and you're fat and you can't move and just find a completion because you have that ability but you don't want try and use it all the time because there's a lot of good athletes in this league and it will catch up to you."

Carr thinks the Bears can make this happen themselves if Shane Waldron offers up plays with easy options for gains instead of forcing him to repeatedly make big, risky throws.

"You've got to find easy answers for him," Carr said.

It's what Carr maintains Andy Reid did with Patrick Mahomes when he arrived in Kansas City.

Caleb Williams goes to Chicago and he'll be next David carr

— Douglas (@PkgPileDriver) December 31, 2023

It won't be easy and won't come naturally. Carr related this to his own experience. Carr didn't have the best offensive line as a QB for an expansion team. He held the ball too long often looking for bigger plays. The combination led to 76 sack as a rookie, then 68 four years later in 2005. He was sacked 249 times in his first five seasons and was never the starter after that.

If the Bears ask too much from Williams, "...then you're going to be in the exact same situation you were in when you had Justin Fields," he said. "You're going to be looking for a new quarterback in three or four years."

A month ago, Carr was one of those urging the Bears to trade the pick to the Washington Commanders so the fit for Williams would be better with an offense he already knows from college, the Air Raid style Lincoln Riley used at Oklahoma and USC. Kliff Kingsbury, an offensive advisor last year at USC who worked with Williams one year, is the Commanders offensive coordinator.

That would be fine for Williams but it would leave the Bears with the second-best quarterback option. Carr had said the fit with Jayden Daniels for the Bears would be better because he doesn't hold the ball as long or take risky late throws.

Since then he has backed off of this and sees a better chance for Williams if he acts like he's "slow and fat."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven