Grading Caleb Williams' roller coaster rookie season with the Bears

Caleb Williams' rookie season with the Chicago Bears is complete. Here's how he graded in Year 1.

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Caleb Williams’ rookie season with the Chicago Bears is in the books. It’s one that began with as much pressure as any player in the NFL. Expectations are inherently high for a first-overall pick, but for a quarterback attempting to become the first-ever franchise quarterback for the Chicago Bears, those expectations turned into a desperate prayer.

The Bears completed their 105th season in 2024. And if we focus on the modern-ish NFL era, the closest Chicago’s come to having a franchise quarterback was Jim McMahon. He’s the team’s only Super Bowl winner, but his brief tenure as a Bear – 61 starts – and the fact he started six games for the Packers disqualifies him. McMahon’s last season in Chicago was way back in 1988.

When the Bears traded for Jay Cutler in 2009, fans thought he would finally break the wheel. But his .500 record and indifferent personality fell short of franchise quarterback standards.

Mitch Trubisky? Justin Fields? They joined Cade McNown and Rex Grossman as failed first-rounders.

So, yeah, Caleb Williams had the weight of 105 years, and anyone who’s ever called themselves a Bears fan on his shoulders… as a rookie.

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Caleb Williams roller coaster ride started in Week 1

The Bears kicked off their season with a win over the Titans, 24-17, but Williams’ underwhelming debut had the ghosts of QBs past swirling through Soldier Field. He threw for only 93 yards and was held out of the end zone. He looked out of sync with his receivers and, perhaps, a bit too jacked up for his NFL debut.

The analytics didn’t help Williams, either. He ended Week 1 with a 49.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. If you’re unfamiliar with PFF’s grading system, here’s a quick summary: A 49.1 is horrendous.

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Williams flashes during a brief two-game losing streak

The Bears followed up their Week 1 victory with two straight losses to the Texans and Colts, but Williams showed steady improvement. He threw for 537 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions during that two-game stretch, including 363 yards and those two scores against the Colts.

However, Chicago lost both games, and the national narrative about Williams began taking a negative turn. It was hard to stomach for Bears fans who watched the games; Caleb was running for his life behind a patchwork offensive line under the direction of a playcaller who would be fired midway through the season.

Still, Williams played every snap. He competed on every rep. And he had some jaw-dropping throws along the way.

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Bears future looks bright with Caleb Williams during three-game winning streak

It seems like an eternity ago, but at one point during the 2024 season, Chicago was 4-2 thanks to a three-game winning streak that peaked in London in Week 6 over the Jaguars. Williams threw four touchdowns in a blowout win, and whispers about a potential playoff run began.

Sadly, the fun didn’t last long, but if there was any stretch of games that proved Williams has franchise quarterback chops, it was those three straight wins. He threw seven touchdowns to just one interception and had his second 300-yard passing game of his career.

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A historic losing streak ensued, and Williams paid the price

No one could’ve envisioned a 10-game losing streak and Matt Eberflus becoming the first Bears head coach to be fired during the season after beginning the year 4-2, but it happened. Whenever a team falls on such hard times, the crosshairs usually focus on the quarterback. And with Caleb Williams being such a high-profile NFL Draft prospect in one of the NFL’s largest media markets, he had a bazooka pointed in his direction.

It wasn’t always pretty for Williams, and he deserved a lot of the criticism that came his way during the losing streak. He held the ball too long, took a lot of sacks – a Bears single-season franchise record and the second-most in NFL history – and Chicago’s offense looked like a JV team at times. But the flashes of brilliance remained.

Despite all the losses, Williams didn’t turn the ball over. He set an NFL rookie record for the most consecutive passes without an interception (it was a Bears franchise record, too) and, at one point in the season, was tracking to become the first Bears quarterback to surpass the 4,000-yard passing mark. 

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Caleb Williams beat the Packers

Yes, you read that right. The Bears, led by Williams, ended the 2024 season by snapping their 10-game losing streak and defeating the Packers for the first time since 2018. 

Williams was the main reason why the Bears got the win. He drove Chicago down the field for a game-winning field goal as time ticked off the clock. He was poised; he was confident; he was a franchise quarterback.

Williams put every high-profile head coaching candidate on notice, too. If they want to align themselves with a star on the rise, come to Chicago.

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Chicago Bears’ future is bright with Caleb Williams at quarterback

Overall, Williams’ rookie year was a success, even if the Bears had another forgettable season. He finished with 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He added 489 yards rushing, as well.

And nearly led Chicago to several signature wins. 

It wasn’t his fault that the Commanders completed an improbable Hail Mary in Week 8 after Williams led a fourth-quarter drive to take the lead. It wasn’t his fault that the Bears’ special teams had a game-winning field goal blocked against the Packers in Week 11. Williams single-handedly forced overtime in the Bears’ Week 12 loss to the Vikings and the fact that Eberlfus didn’t know how to manage the clock on Thanksgiving? Yep, that’s not Williams’ fault either. 

Williams became an easy target for the national media, especially because of the success Jayden Daniels, the guy picked right after Caleb, enjoyed in Washington. But much of the negativity hurled his way wasn’t fair, and an honest look back at his rookie season reveals only one thing: the future is very, very exciting for the Bears, who may finally have their franchise quarterback.

Caleb Williams Rookie Season Grade: B+

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