Bear Digest

Caleb Williams' biggest weakness could derail 2025 season

The Chicago Bears won't find any success if Caleb Williams doesn't show significant improvement in one area.
Pete Martuneac|
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Despite an up-and-down preseason showing, the Chicago Bears remain a strong favorite to make the biggest leap forward in 2025 to many fans and analysts. They've done so many of the right things this offseason, the kind of smart decisions we don't typically see from this franchise. From hiring the best head coaching candidate to hit the market in years to investing heavily in a revamped offensive line, the Bears have made an all-in effort to take massive strides forward in 2025.

But none of it will matter if the quarterback can't deliver on his generational billing. Caleb Williams flashed a lot of promise in his rookie season, which was not nearly as bad as some detractors make it out to be, but his weaknesses from college cropped up again in the pros, including the biggest flaw in his game.

Pro Football Focus recently listed the biggest weakness for every NFL starting QB, and for Williams (who ironically went by the nickname of Superman in college) his quarterback kryptonite is generating his own pressures and sacks.

Here's what John Kosko, an NFL analyst for PFF, had to say: "Copy and paste from a year ago. The weakness in Williams’ game when he came out of college reared its ugly head in his rookie season, as no quarterback was responsible for more sacks than his 17. Williams was downgraded on the most dropbacks with a sack in the NFL, as well. If he wants to live up to the pre-draft hype, he needs to play better in structure and cut down on the sacks."

Caleb William
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

While not untruthful, Kosko's assessment is not entirely fair. Yes, Williams was responsible for a league-leading 17 sacks, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Consider the below chart, which shows how many sacks each QB took and for how many the QB was to blame. Williams was responsible for 45% of his sacks, which is lower than ten other starting quarterbacks, including names such as C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and even the 2024 MVP Josh Allen.

Clearly, the lion's share of the blame for Williams' historically high sack count still rests with the offensive line, who were responsible for two dubious stats regarding Caleb Williams. This unit should be much improved in 2025, which means we should see Williams' sack total go way down, including the number of sacks he takes the blame for.

None of this is to say that Williams should be let off the hook. He does in fact invite pressure and sacks, and he does need to get much better in this area. With improved coaching and pass protection, I see no reason why he shouldn't. If he doesn't improve, however, the calls for backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to relieve Williams and rescue a spiraling season could come earlier than some fans might expect.

Caleb William
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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