Their concerns weren't unfounded. Both head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were fired during the regular season, and even Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted this offseason that "steps were skipped" in preparing Williams for his rookie season.

Caleb Williams and Jared Goff play QB quite differently, but each had similar struggles as rookie top picks. Now Williams can follow Goff's path

We examined the most insane tidbits about Caleb Williams and his initial plans to avoid being drafted by the Bears in 2024.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams was ranked among the NFL's worst in this new ranking of the league's 32 starters.

In PFF's quarterback rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL season, McCarthy came in ranked surprisingly at No. 21 overall despite never playing a regular-season snap in the NFL yet. He was the third-ranked quarterback in his draft class behind Jayden Daniels (No. 6) and Bo Nix (No. 19).

Caleb Williams’ rookie season in Chicago wasn’t exactly stellar. Head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were both dismissed during the regular season. Bears general manager Ryan Poles acknowledged in the offseason that “steps were skipped” in preparing Williams for his rookie campaign.

In 2024, the electric Washington Commanders rookie won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, landed in the Pro Bowl, posted the league’s fourth-highest QBR (70.6), and set a rookie record for completion percentage (69.0%).

Caleb Williams’ dad didn’t want him to get drafted to the Bears because “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” he said in a new book.

Bears safety Kevin Byard responded to a pre-draft report about quarterback Caleb Williams initially not wanting to be drafted by Chicago.