Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Dark Horse Candidate For Major NFL Award?

“It’s all set up, and here’s the thing, he showed enough flashes. Like I would be surprised if he does not play well because he showed flashes,” Broussard said. “Four games over 300. Last seven games, 11 touchdowns, only one pick.”

Despite the struggles in year one, Williams did not have a bad rookie season. The former Trojan passed for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

The area Williams has to improve the most is knowing when to not take a sack. Williams was sacked 68 times and has to learn when to throw the ball away and end the play. The Bears did add offensive line help in the offseason which should help Williams in 2025.

Broussard backed up his argument by discussing how well Williams played given its opponents in 2024. The NFC North had three teams in the playoffs, putting Wiliams against tough teams as a rookie.

“This was the competition, Minnesota twice, Detroit twice, San Francisco, Seattle, and Green Bay. Those are good teams,” Broussard continued.

Williams came into the NFL with high expectations as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is no stranger to winning big awards, winning the Heisman Trophy following his 2023 season with the USC Trojans.

Williams went through many struggles as a rookie and did not have a consistent coach, making his year more challenging. Former Bears coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were fired in-season. Waldron was fired first, followed by Eberflus a couple of weeks later.

Thomas Brown, who served as pass game coordinator, was promoted to offensive coordinator when Waldron was fired and then took over for Eberflus as the interim head coach. This is a lot for a rookie quarterback to go through, leading to a tough season.

Williams is now looking to take a massive step in year two, and with new Bears coach Ben Johnson, the expectations are high. Johnson was a hot commodity in the coaching market as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, and now he is pursuing his first stint as an NFL head coach. Johnson has confidence in Williams as the team went through its first minicamp with the new coach.

"He's [Williams] committed to learning the offense," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "We're not where we need to be yet as a team, and he understands that. Any chance he gets to get a few more full-speed reps, it sounds like he wants them."

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