Bear Digest

One View Counters Idea Caleb Williams Hasn't Faced Adversity

While a popular notion has been Caleb Williams hasn't been challenged with enough adversity in his career, a former college and NFL QB sees more adversity faced than other QBs have.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams gets congratulations for a touchdown pass heading off the field last season.
Caleb Williams gets congratulations for a touchdown pass heading off the field last season. | Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

While some analysts have questioned whether Caleb Williams has faced the proper amount of perceived adversity in college, another former NFL and college player has a 180-degree different take on it.

Greg McElroy of ESPN had seen Williams as not facing enough adversity in his career but Brady Quinn of CBS Sports, the former Notre Dame quarterback, sees the opposite.

As far as Quinn is concerned, Williams has probably faced more adversity than many other quarterbacks coming into the NFL.

On Withthefirstpick.com, Quinn said he saw quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix and JJ McDaniels cruising to victory after victory, barely challenged with strong teams in big parts of their final seasons. Meanwhile, he saw Williams' ability to keep his weaker team in games as a plus last year.

"I don't think people on the outside truly appreciate just what he was overcoming during his time there," Quinn told Withthefirstpick.com. "He had talent around him as far as guys to throw to but the offensive line issues, defensive issues ... I mean, it was probably understated just how lackluster they were.

"He had to overcome that every single week. You know, when you're Southern Cal you're one of the top programs in the Pac-12, you're always going to have a bull's-eye on your back, especially when you have got the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, too. And so for that reason, I kind of look at this season and I know he didn't play his best football in some of the season's biggest games but you go back to two years ago, that film was pretty sepecial."

Two years ago was his Heisman-winning year and USC allowed 2.14 sacks a game. That went up to 2.54 last year.

Their defense was 114th in 2023 and ranked only a little higher in 2022 at 101st.

Yet, Williams led them to 11-3 and 7-5 records. He didn't play the final game of 2023, a bowl win.

Quinn also threw a dart at the balloon building up over how long Williams held the ball.

If there is a minor criticism by Quinn, it's playing off script to the point where it sometimes seems he's trying to do this instead of following the script.

"Even then, some of the film, some of the plays he made this year was pretty special," Quinn said. "I tend to look at him and say there are things you can't gameplan for.

"Really not many other people in the NFL now can do the stuff he can do—the way he can throw off-platform, the way he can throw cross-body, cross-field in different directions. How fast he can throw the football once he does decide to take off or move within the pocket, around in the pocket. He just has this uncanny ability of being able or a knack for making plays."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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