Why executive always knew Bears' Caleb Williams would struggle as a rookie

Those running the Chicago Bears clearly hope the hiring of advertised offensive guru Ben Johnson as the club's new head coach will help quarterback Caleb Williams bounce back from a rocky rookie season that included the in-campaign firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus.

For a lengthy piece produced by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport that was published on Tuesday morning, one unnamed AFC executive shared why he always believed Williams wouldn't emerge as a star during his debut pro campaign. 

"Williams' tendency to make plays off raw talent instead of playing on time and within the structure of an offense raised concerns about his ability to succeed in Year 1," that executive explained. 

The executive added that he "just thought [Williams] never saw the field well and it showed." 

Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, some analysts ranked Jayden Daniels instead of Williams as the best quarterback in that class. The Bears nevertheless made Williams the first pick of the player-selection process, and he won four of his first six starts before he endured a 10-game losing streak. In the end, Williams took a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie. 

Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels guided the Washington Commanders to this year's NFC Championship Game after they drafted him with pick No. 2. League executives, coaches and scouts surveyed by ESPN earlier this summer ranked Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season, as the fifth-best quarterback in the NFL heading into the 2025 campaign. 

In May, it was learned that Williams and his family allegedly explored ways to prevent the Bears from drafting him in the spring of 2024. Fowler and Davenport expanded on Williams' mindset. 

"A source with direct knowledge of Williams' predraft process said Williams' fact-finding mission about his new team soured him on Waldron, who was the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator before joining Chicago in January 2024," Fowler and Davenport noted. "Among chief concerns, the source said, were whether personalities would jell and how Waldron would use him."

After weeks of "up-and-down" performances during summer practices while learning Johnson's offense, Williams played well in Chicago's preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17. If that proves to be a preview of things to come for the Bears, Williams could soon put the struggles he endured as a rookie far behind him.