Before his rookie year kicked off, Caleb Williams said he drew inspiration from NBA star LeBron James to fuel his fire. But as the Chicago Bears quarterback enters his second season in the NFL, he needs to look no further than the latest batch of quarterback power rankings for inspiration. And because all of the greatest players tend to take the smallest slight to spark their greatness, there is a small part of me that wonders if Williams will follow. But before we get too far down that rabbit hole, let’s discuss where Chicago’s QB1 checks in among this fresh batch of quarterback power rankings.
Caleb Williams’ uneven rookie year leads to disappointing ranking
NFL.com writer Nick Shook ranked all 59 quarterbacks who made a start during the 2024 season. Kudos to Shook for taking on what appears to be a herculean task. Do you remember the starts made by Tommy DeVito, Skylar Thompson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Desmond Ridder? I’ll be honest, I couldn’t even recall Trey Lance getting a start last year. But that was a thing that happened. Bailey Zappe, Tanner McKee, and Mason Rudolph made starts, too. I will say that I do remember Andy Dalton’s heater, which ended upon his arrival to face the Bears at Soldier Field.
Anyway, Caleb Williams ranked 28th among the 59 quarterbacks who started games last season. That puts him directly in the middle of the pack. It also placed him behind 2024 NFL Draft classmates Jayden Daniels (5th), Bo Nix (20th), and Drake Maye (21st). Long-time Bears nemesis Aaron Rodgers (22nd) and former Chicago first-round pick Justin Fields (27th) also ranked ahead of Caleb. Hey, what gives?
Here is a snippet from Shook’s explanation:
He’s a magician when evading rushers and has an incredibly powerful arm that he often unleashed only after avoiding multiple defenders. He expended far too much energy attempting to stay upright, and by the time Chicago’s protection improved, Williams had developed a fear of making a mistake, leading to him holding onto the ball too long. He needs to become more decisive in his second season, but hopefully the new Ben Johnson-led staff won’t make the going so difficult for him in 2025. I have a feeling we’ve yet to see what Williams is truly capable of in the NFL, and I can’t wait to see him start to deliver on his potential.
CHICAGO BEARS 2024 EXIT INTERVIEWS: Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams finished the year with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a passer rating of 87.8. Not only did Williams register one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history, but his numbers were legitimately good enough for consideration among the best of any QB in team history. It speaks to how woeful the Bears have been in drafting and developing quarterback talent. But it also provides a baseline for expectations moving forward.
© Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesI do not envy anyone trying to evaluate Caleb Williams’ season, let alone put a singular ranking or grade on it. There was so much that was out of Williams’ control that negatively impacted his first quarterbacking campaign. Play-calling and pass protection were among the key things that led to disappointment throughout the season. Even with the issues around him, execution on Caleb’s part could have been better during the moments in which play-calling was solid and pass protection held up around him. A messy Chicago Bears situation makes for tough to hand out a fair grade, to say the least.
CHECK IT OUT: Caleb Williams Already Has an Offseason Improvement Plan in Place
In the end, I see a ranking like the one Nick Shook handed out above and it makes me look forward to Caleb Williams’ second season as a pro than I already did. All things considered, Williams played well as a rookie. And if you’ll recall, there is a lot to consider when dissecting his first year in Chicago. His offensive coordinator was fired nine games into the season. Three games later, Caleb’s head coach was given his walking papers. There was a time when it was looking like an ideal situation for a rookie quarterback to walk into turned into a mess. But all it took was 12 games for things to unravel. Go figure.
The past doesn’t always indicate what will happen in the future. And because Ben Johnson can tap into his experience in rebuilding Jared Goff, I am curious to see what he has in store for Caleb Williams in 2025.
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