Bears Fans Shut Up and Enjoy Your Franchise Quarterback
The Chicago Bears haven’t won a championship since 1985 or a playoff game since 2011. They haven’t had a talented franchise quarterback since before the term was even invented. So, it is bewildering to me how one of the NFL’s most long-suffering fanbases went in on Caleb Williams after the Bears' loss to the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Williams's final play of the game was not indicative of how he played overall. Caleb Williams, a young player in his second NFL season and his first with a new head coach and offense, made a mistake under pressure, as the final play showed. He will learn from the mistake and get better. He was overthinking the errant pass attempt to Cole Kmet in the end zone, which Green Bay intercepted to secure the victory. Yes, he missed an open DJ Moore on a shorter crossing route that could have resulted in a touchdown, but life happens.
Bears fans quickly forgot that only a few minutes earlier, Williams had defied physics with a scramble and an unconventional pass to Olamide Zaccheaus, who made a diving catch just inside the sideline while being closely guarded by a Green Bay defender. How Williams got the ball past the defender and to his receiver is something I’m still trying to figure out. It was an elite play by a special talent and should be on the Bears' 2025 highlight reel at the end of the season.
It is not just me who believes Bears fans are emotional and ungrateful. Tom Brady, considered one of the greatest to ever play the position, was also confused by all of the criticism Williams was getting.
“I have watched every throw, every run, every time he stood back up after getting hit hard. Nobody understands the weight of carrying a whole team on your shoulders until they have done it themselves. Caleb Williams is fighting for an entire city. Nobody is entitled to mock someone who continues to battle the way he does.”
The ungrateful Bears fanbase doesn’t seem to get it. Perhaps they should take heed of what happened in Indianapolis with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones being lost for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon. This season, the Colts have emerged as the NFL's surprise team. They have a record of 8-5, but now with Jones done for the year, they will have to rely on their backup rookie quarterback, Riley Leonard. But wait, he is also hurt and can’t play this week. Their third-string QB, Anthony Richardson, currently sits on injured reserve after fracturing an orbital bone. Despite being drafted as the #4 overall pick in 2023 and expected to be the franchise quarterback, he has struggled to stay healthy. The Colts are so desperate, they signed 44-year-old Phillip Rivers, who is literally a grandfather and hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2020. Their playoff chances now appear dim.
Even the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are having quarterback issues. On Monday night, Jalen Hurts, who is the defending Super Bowl MVP, was atrocious. He threw four interceptions, including one on his team’s final drive in overtime that gave the Chargers the win. He also had one fumble lost in the game for a total of five turnovers. Does this mean Hurts is not a high-caliber quarterback in the NFL? No. This means that on one specific night, Hurts performed poorly, yet his team still had a chance to win the game. If you believe the Eagles will replace him with another player, you must be as high as a Grateful Dead fan.
Patrick Mahomes, who faced Hurts in the Super Bowl earlier this year and is considered the best quarterback in the game, was also terrible this week. Mahomes’ stat line was one of the worst of his career. He completed only 14 of 33 pass attempts for 160 yards. He threw zero touchdowns and had three interceptions, was sacked twice, and finished with a QB rating of 19.8. Yet, I didn’t hear the Chiefs fanbase screaming on social media for change, despite the team’s now 6-7 record, which means they will have to fight just to get into the playoffs.
Williams is the most exciting Bears quarterback I have seen in my lifetime. The way he evades potential tacklers is incredibly entertaining, even though at times his awkward demeanor leaves one wondering if he is deceiving defenders or experiencing a seizure. He extends plays and gives his receivers a chance to get open long after their initial route has ended. The young man stays out of trouble off the field and genuinely wants to get better and, most importantly, win.
Bears fans should simply observe Williams' progress and relish the experience. Your alternative is Tyson Bagent. Good luck with that.