“Since I was 10, all I ever wanted to do was to play football,” Caleb Williams wrote in his Instagram post while declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. Nearly every scout and analyst touted him as the top quarterback in the class—and, as expected, the Chicago Bears went all in and drafted him. That marked the beginning of what was supposed to be a franchise overhaul. But things didn’t go as planned.

Instead of rising to the occasion, the college star seemed to spiral, falling down a rabbit hole of growing pains and unmet expectations. The end result? A disappointing 5-12 record and an early exit from the season. And as we all know, in a league as ultra-competitive and fast-paced as the NFL, Caleb Williams will need to deliver something truly special this season to change the narrative.

NFL Legend Keyshawn Johnson discussed the signal caller’s future on the April 14 episode of the SPEAK on FS1 show. While discussing the path ahead, he remarked, “If anything less than improvement, in the Chicago boat as a record and position, we will next offseason be talking about what are they gonna do with Caleb Williams moving forward. That’s what we gonna be saying. It’s how the league is, though.” He is correct. The league is indeed impatient.

The analyst also clarified his expectations. Caleb needs to show improvement—not just in terms of qualifying for the playoffs but in overall growth. He needs to produce better numbers. In the 2024 season, playing all 17 games as a starter, the Bears QB completed 351 of 562 passes (a 62.5% completion rate) for 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. These numbers are low compared to his college performances.

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In three years of college football, his average completion rate was 66.9%. In his final year (2023), he posted an impressive 68.65% completion rate, along with a staggering 30-5 TD-to-interception record. If we go by the idea that the NFL is tougher than college, then Jayden Daniels serves as a counterexample. He had an opposite 12-5 win-loss record. In his rookie year, the Commanders’ QB completed 331 of 480 passes (a 69% completion rate) for 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He even had 6 rushing TDs compared to none by Caleb Williams.

Now, Caleb will be under the guidance of Ben Johnson. After proving his ability as an offensive specialist with the Lions, the newly appointed Bears head coach has brought renewed hope to Da Bears. Also, the young quarterback is trying to move past the shocking experiences of last season—one of them being the reaction of former head coach Matt Eberflus.

Caleb Williams trying to get rid of memories

It was the week 8 game of the 2024 season. A genuine test of the rookie’s abilities. Caleb Williams vs Jayden Daniels. The Bears were ahead by 15-12 as the Commanders had the ball in the last play of the game. Out of desperation, the signal caller made a Hail Mary pass. Boy, oh boy, the ball tipped off the Bears’ defense and landed in the hand of WR Noah Brown. The crowd erupted in joy as the Commanders’ camp celebrated crazily.

HC Matt Eberflus told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, “You’re defending touchdown there. And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever that is, doesn’t really matter. It’s always going to come down to that last play.” Most players and fans didn’t like it. Although it was a great game, we understand the frustration of the loss. But he could have been graceful in the defeat.

Now, in the offseason, Caleb Williams showed the mirror to the former coach. He told Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe, “How (Eberflus) handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by.” Well, they don’t need to be worried about those things anymore.

They need to build momentum. After their Week 8 loss, the Bears went on to lose 10 of their last 11 games—a collapse they simply can’t afford to repeat this year. The focus now has to be on securing a playoff spot. With Ben Johnson’s proven track record, there’s real potential to turn past failures into a comeback story.