Bear Digest

Bears' Caleb Williams admits to 'arrogant confidence' in himself

There's no doubt in the mind of Caleb Williams about what he can do for the Chicago Bears.
Pete Martuneac|
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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During the lead up to the 2024 NFL draft, there was no shortage of narratives, mostly negative, about the presumed No. 1 overall pick, USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Some analysts said he wasn't as tall as USC listed him (he is). Others said his 'backyard' style of football wouldn't translate (it has). Some even questioned his character, decrying Williams as an arrogant, me-first player, incapable of leading a locker room.

While the last part of that accusation is, of course, ridiculous, the first part apparently has some truth. In speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the Bears' upcoming rematch with the Packers, Williams confessed to having a little bit of 'arrogant confidence' in himself. Chris Emma, a reporter covering the Bears for the radio program 670 The Score, shared the following quote from Williams on his X account.

While the pre-draft narrative of Williams being arrogant was meant as a negative, the reality is that this is a positive trait for an NFL quarterback. It's that kind of arrogance that led to Williams throwing an impossible touchdown pass on Sunday. After the Bears' epic win over the Browns, Williams went so far as to say 'I can make any pass' when asked if that touchdown was an ill-advised throw.

If Williams didn't have that confidence in himself, then the Bears probably aren't sitting at 10-4 right now with a chance to win their first division title since 2018.

Williams may believe in himself, but he knows he needs a complete team

The second part of Williams' quote is what interested me the most. After explaining how he believes in himself and who he is, Williams said, "And then having the group around me only strengthens [my confidence] for me. It's always strength in numbers. It's always one. It's always us."

That's the other necessary part of being a quarterback in the NFL. Confidence in one's self while recognizing the part played by everyone on the team. When he was awarded a game ball by head coach Ben Johnson following their victory over the Bengals, Williams held the ball in the air and declared that it 'goes to everybody' in the locker room. Even today, Williams called his O-line the Avengers from Marvel Comics.

After a dominant Week 15 win over the Browns, Williams and the Bears must face the Packers at Soldier Field on Saturday night. A win over the Packers would put them in the driver's seat of the NFC North and leave them one win away from a home playoff game in January. If Williams has a little 'arrogant confidence' now, just wait until he has a division championship to his name.

Caleb William
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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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