Bear Digest

Ranking Caleb Williams' 5 best throws from 2024

While the Chicago Bears vastly underperformed expectations in 2024, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams dazzled and showed why he was a first-overall pick.

Pete Martuneac

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The 2024 NFL season was rife with disappointments for Chicago Bears fans, but rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was not one of them. He put up the best rookie reason in Chicago Bears history, became the first Chicago quarterback since Jay Cutler to start every game in a season, and set an NFL rookie record with the most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (353).

While Williams has room to improve, as every rookie does, he showed enough to leave Bears fans and NFL analysts confident that he'll take another step forward next year.

Let's take a look back at his five best plays from this year to remind ourselves what the Bears have in Caleb Williams. And yes, choosing just five plays out of his dozens of highlights was difficult.

1. Williams' first deep connection with Rome Oduzne

The Caleb Williams era got off to a rocky start, and it wasn't until Week 3 that we saw some real razzle-dazzle. The offense continued to look flat well into the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts until Williams uncorked this beauty for Rome Odunze 40 yards down the sideline.

Bears fans will hope to see much more of this in Season 2.

2. Williams' first touchdown pass to DJ Moore

Another first that took too long to see. By Week 4, Chicago's offense had found a bit of a groove. Playing the Rams at home, Williams threaded the needle to DJ Moore in the back of the endzone to extend Chicago's lead.

This is the kind of play that Bears fans had been dying to see consistently. Despite a collapsing pocket, Williams stood tall and delivered a strike into a mailbox-sized window.

3. Williams to DJ Moore against Moore's former team

Chicago did not play many complete games this season, but Week 5 against the Panthers was one of them. Williams completed 69% of his passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 134 passer rating, and it included this 30-yard dart to DJ Moore.

The caption says it all. Beautiful throw, incredible catch.

4. A touchdown so unbelievable it should have offset the penalty

One of the biggest selling points for Caleb Williams before the draft was sheer arm talent. He's capable of putting unreal velocity on the ball from any platform and even while on the run. Some doubted that this would translate to the NFL, but this pass to Odunze in Week 17 put any such doubts to bed.

There are maybe three quarterbacks in the world who could complete that pass without slowing down, and Williams is one of them. The penalty kept it off the board, but it will live on forever in the hearts and memories of Bears fans, hopefully as a precursor to much greater heights to come.

5. The pass that beat the Packers

This was not a touchdown, nor did it set up the eventual game-winning field goal, but this gutsy fourth-down throw to keep the drive alive is exactly what fans want to see from their franchise quarterback. Williams showed no fear on the road in a hostile environment and came up big when it mattered most (and shout out to Odunze for the toe drag swag).

During the doldrums of the offseason, Bears fans could very easily watch this throw and imagine it coming with much bigger stakes, like a playoff game or the Super Bowl. That's the ceiling that Caleb Williams aspires to, and if new head coach Ben Johnson is everything he's made out to be, that ceiling may be hit sooner than later.

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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