Bears' Caleb Williams has a lot to prove in his second season

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will have a lot to prove as he heads into his second campaign in the NFL. 

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick came into the NFL with ample expectations and has been touted as "generational" by analysts and scouts. It is fair to say Williams's rookie season didn't quite live up to the expectations, so the former USC quarterback will have a chip on his shoulder as the 2025 season commences.  

Williams was drafted by the Bears in hopes of turning the franchise around for the better. Chicago's front office acquired offensive weapons such as D'Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, and veteran wideout Keenan Allen to aid the rookie quarterback. Analysts predicted that perhaps Williams could lead Chicago atop the NFC North division due to the acquisitions of talent for Williams on offense. Instead, the Bears finished last in the division with a 5-12 record, which included having lost 10 consecutive games. 

Statistically, however, Williams had a promising freshman campaign. The 2022 Heisman winner tossed for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. Williams became just the seventh Bears quarterback to reach the 3,000-yard passing mark in a single season. The last Bears pass thrower to toss for at least 3,000 yards was Mitchell Trubisky back in 2019. In the Bears' 105-year history as a franchise, no quarterback has tossed for at least 4,000 yards in a single season. Williams was just under 500 yards shy of accomplishing that feat as a rookie. 

Williams ranked 17th in overall passing statistics in 2024 and even ranked ahead of premier quarterbacks Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts. It is also worth mentioning that Williams had perhaps the worst pass protection in the NFL last season. Williams faced 57 unblocked pressures and 12 unblocked sacks. Furthermore, the Bears quarterback was sacked a league-leading 68 times, which was 16 more than the second-most sacked quarterback, C.J Stroud. 

If an offense doesn't have a competent offensive line, the passing and rushing attack will be inept, to say the least. The Bears ranked 31st in total passing offense and 26th in total rushing offense. Regardless of how talented Williams is, there was no way he could effectively scan the field and make proper reads under immense pressure.

However, Williams's draft counterpart, Jayden Daniels, had immense success as a rookie for the Washington Commanders. Daniels won the Heisman trophy in 2023, but Williams was still seen as the de facto best selection in the 2024 draft. 

Daniels had arguably the greatest rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history. The former LSU quarterback led the Commanders to two road playoff victories and a berth in the NFC Championship Game. 

Yes, Williams and Daniels are in very different circumstances, but on the surface, it looks as if Daniels should've been the quarterback taken atop their respective draft class. 

However, Williams can still prove that he is all he has been made out to be. The Bears signed acclaimed former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach. The Bears also brought attention to their offensive line by bringing in Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, and Jonah Jackson in the offseason, as well as Ozzy Trapilo in this year's draft. 

As the face of the Bears, Williams will have even more eyeballs watching him as he will have a lot to prove in his sophomore season.