Why Caleb Williams Could Struggle in the NFL

NFL Draft 2024

With a plethora of noteworthy free agent acquisitions and departures, the upcoming NFL draft looms as one of the most pivotal in recent memory. The Bears are expected to draft Caleb Williams as the 1st overall pick. For many of the reasons I discussed in the Drafting a Franchise Quarterback article below, I do not expect Caleb Williams to meet the astronomical expectations that have been set before him.

There is no question that his talent warrants a 1st overall selection. Since his Oklahoma days, Williams’ style of play has been compared to Patrick Mahomes. He can make every throw from any angle with pinpoint accuracy. He won the Heisman trophy as a sophomore. Williams threw 30 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions last year. He will enter a Bears offense that returns DJ Moore and added Keenan Allen and De’Andre Swift in free agency.

That being said, his intangibles are being overlooked. Being a great NFL quarterback is not all about one’s play on the field. It pertains to being someone whom teammates eagerly collaborate with, someone who uplifts team morale when facing adversity, and someone that teammates trust to lead their franchise. In his rookie season, long before he won 7 Super Bowls, Tom Brady would have drinking competitions when he hung out with his offensive lineman because that’s what they liked to do.

In 2021, for the first time college athletes were able to profit from NIL (Name, Image, Likeness). I agree with the NCAAs decision and feel it was long overdue. However, the NIL policy may bring about adverse consequences for the players that have the potential to become professional athletes; in the sense that it may give some the false perception that they’ve already made it. College athletes suddenly endowed with millions in NIL money could face similar challenges as we see with rising young artists/ singers, grappling with the pitfalls of newfound wealth at a young age. Caleb is no stranger to NIL money. This was his college apartment.

Williams was the only player in combine history not to do a medical review. He didn’t run at the combine and didn’t throw either. When asked why he didn’t participate his response was, “I played around 30-something games. Go ahead and go watch real-live ball of me, and see how I am as a competitor." His dad made headlines last year when he said that his son should receive an ownership stake from the NFL team that drafts him. No NFL player has ever requested such treatment, let alone a rookie. He poked fun at TCU QB Max Duggan on Twitter for crying in postgame interviews after losing the 2022 national championship. Fast forward a year, and here’s a look at Caleb Williams crying in his mother’s arms after losing to Washington in a regular season PAC-12 game.

The Bears brought on veteran WR Keenan Allen this offseason to help their prospective QB1. Allen showed up to USC pro-day to meet Williams. Here's a look at their first interaction. Williams walks right past Keenan Allen, acting like he doesn’t see him until Allen walks over to shake his hand. It’s just one interaction - but you’d think someone who is yet to enter the NFL would show a bit more respect to a veteran. Even All-Pro Bears CB Jaylon Johnson has hinted that Williams’ attitude may be a concern. When asked about Williams on the Up and Adams show, Johnson responded “I feel like you just humble yourself coming into the building … You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building,” Johnson told Adams. “Especially not with guys who have played this game, I feel like, at a high level for consecutive years in the league.“It’s just something that guys like myself, guys like Tremaine [Edmunds], T.J. [Edwards], the vets, Keenan Allen … We’re going to see through it. What you did in college, the Hollywood, it’s not that. You got to prove yourself, stuff like that don’t matter.”

Williams will be given every opportunity to shine in his rookie year with the weapons that the Chicago Bears have assembled. But for me, given his brash personality the jury’s still out on whether he can have success in the NFL. Some see Mahomes, but in reality I think we’re more likely looking at the next Kyler Murray.

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