LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — In the aftermath of the Bears’ listless 19-3 loss to the Patriots last Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams walked through the locker room and greeted each of his offensive linemen individually.
One by one, the Bears’ blockers were met by a handshake from Williams and a message of gratitude. “Thank you,” Williams said to each offensive lineman before moving on to the next.
Despite being sacked nine times as the Bears managed just 142 net yards of offense, Williams wanted his teammates to know that he has their back. Even though the Bears continue to struggle amid their three-game losing streak, there shouldn’t be doubt that the locker room still supports Williams as well.
When the Bears (4-5) host the rival Packers (6-3) on Sunday at Soldier Field, the 22-year-old Williams will be called upon to make his 10th NFL start. Contrary to speculation nationally and locally, there has been no genuine consideration by the Bears to benching Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as a measure of preservation.
Frankly, that's a ridiculous notion to even consider – and a frustrating debate given how this season should be playing out for the Bears.
How the hell did we get here already?
This isn't comparable to the situation in Carolina, where second-year quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, was benched in September by the Panthers. Young has posted a quarterback rating of 100 or better just twice in 23 NFL starts. Williams did so three times in his first six NFL games, including two ratings better than Young’s career-best.
Put another way: Williams has proved he can perform at a high level in the NFL while Young hasn’t even had spurts of stardom.
Don’t believe it from me? Take it from Bears tight end Cole Kmet, one of the captains in the locker room who has voiced his support for Williams.
Kmet’s words resonated with Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and team management as first-year offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired after just nine games on the job. A key part of that decision was to do what’s best for Williams.
"We’re just trying to find solutions to help (Williams) out first and foremost," Kmet said. "Because you see when he gets going, it is special. And we want to find ways to make him comfortable, make him flow and let him go do his thing.
"We got the ultimate faith in him. We want him to play fast, play free and play almost like a kid out there, have fun."
The Bears haven’t broken Williams amid their dysfunction, but they're certainly at risk of stalling his development. That's perhaps the most startling aspect of their three-game slide.
The job of new Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown – who was promoted internally to replace Waldron – will be to create a more efficient offense that allows Williams to play more freely. Brown needs to design routes that cater to the skill sets of each receiver, strike the right run-pass balance and fortify protection concepts when Williams is under siege. Under Waldron's watch, the Bears' struggling offensive line allowed pressures on 25.3% of Williams' dropbacks
Waldron failed to adapt his scheme to fit Williams despite open pleas from key leaders in the Bears’ locker room. Ultimately, that was a primary factor in what got him fired so quickly.
But to include Williams as part of this reckoning and series of changes at Halas Hall would be incredibly misguided. Benching him would compromise his position and standing with the Bears beyond this season, and it could be something he never truly gets over.
Williams believes in himself and the Bears, and his team has had his back through the ongoing struggles. It’s already clear how good Williams can be as an NFL quarterback.
Now, the Bears need to do right by Williams by putting him in a better position to succeed each week.
Emma's prediction (5-4): Packers 24, Bears 17
I picked the Bears to win their last two games, believing there was a bounce-back coming. Fool me once – fool me twice? I'm picking against them until this football team proves it has a beating heart left.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.