Bear Digest

No Sitting Caleb Williams or Any Healthy Bears Against Packers

The Bears will treat the season finale like any other game says interim coach Thomas Brown, which means Caleb Williams and all healthy starters face Green Bay.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams will not be held out of the regular-season finale of his rookie year says coach Thomas Brown.
Caleb Williams will not be held out of the regular-season finale of his rookie year says coach Thomas Brown. / Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It's business as usual for Caleb Williams and all of the Bears heading into the final game at Green Bay.

In other words, interim head coach Thomas Brown says no one is getting the week off unless they're injured even with nothing at stake in Chicago.

"There's a game to be played," Brown said. "So at stake, as far as competing and winning a football game, which I think is maybe different from the outside world's perspective, there's always an opportunity at stake to compete and be at your best. So I wouldn't agree with you as far as nothing's at stake. "Obviously we're not going to the playoffs. I guess that's more of your thought process behind this. But as far as Caleb goes, as far as doubt about him not playing, that's never come up."

The belief is Williams can still benefit from a final game playing in this offense, even if it's possible the entire thing will be scrapped in a week for his second season.

A huge concern is protecting Williams with an offensive line in tatters. They started Larry Borom at left tackle and Jake Curhan at left guard last week. Left tackle   Braxton Jones is done for the year on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The status of left guard Teven Jenkins is unknown after he did not play in the Seattle game with a   calf injury.

Williams was sacked seven times Thursday, making it a Bears team record 67 sacks this year. It's the second-most sacks of an NFL rookie ever but Williams sees this as part of what Williams can still learn as a rookie.

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"The overall evolution of him being his best self and continuing to find ways to continue to grow and be at his best week in and week out as far as being able to learn to protect himself and be better around him from a protection standpoint."

Bears tight end Cole Kmet believes it's important for Williams playing all 17 games heading into next year regardless of the situation.

"I think he knows the things he's gotta take ownership of," Kmet said. "I think he understands how big going into the next year will be for him. It'll be a big offseason.

"So just kinda getting ready and geared up for that and getting mentally prepared. Now you know how an NFL season goes. It’s definitely a long season, especially one we’ve had with all the ups and downs during the season, obviously a very long camp that we had. There is a lot too that I think he can learn from. You definitely go into your second year with a little more clarity as to what to expect in an NFL season. He’s obviously dealt with a lot here his first year. I think those things will only make him stronger."

Backup QB Tyson Bagent has played only 13 offensive plays this year after being in on 305 last season as a rookie.

Williams is 330 of 533 for 61.9% completions with 3,393 yards 19 touchdowns, six interceptions and a passer rating of 87.4. For comparison's sake, Justin Fields completed 58.9%, had a passer rating of 73.2 and threw seven touchdowns with seven interceptions as a rookie, while Mitchell Trubisky completed 59.4% with seven TD passes, seven interceptions and had a passer rating of 77.5.

Williams' yardage total is the most for a Bears rookie by 1,200 yards. Trubisky was second with 2,193 yards. He also set their rookie record for touchdown passes. His yardage total is the fifth most in Bears history for any quarterback. He just passed Jay Cutler's total of 3,274 yards in their 2010 NFC championship game season of 2010.

Williams has also outrushed both Trubisky and Fields as rookies. Fields had 420 rushing yards and Trubisky 248 while Williams has 479.

The Bears offense ranks last in the league in yardage heading into the final week, and Monday night's 49ers and Lions game does not impact this. They are 29th in passing, 25th in rushing and 29th in scoring.

Most Times Sacked in a Season

Rookie QBs

David Carr 2002 Texans: 76

Caleb Williams 2024 Bears: 67

Bryce Young 2023 Panthers: 62

Tim Couch 1999 Browns: 56

Blake Bortles 2014 Jaguars: 55

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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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.