Bear Digest

NFL Network host erupts in defense of Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

Kudos to NFL Network's Kyle Brandt for speaking the truth about the Caleb Williams critics.
Bryan Perez|
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been a popular training camp target for NFL analysts who are looking for any reason to hate on the 2024 first overall pick. Pop on your favorite sports channel, podcast, or YouTuber, and you'll hear some form of critique about Williams and his training camp performance so far.

Perhaps it's because the first few practices under head coach Ben Johnson were rough. But, shouldn't that be the expectation for a second-year quarterback in his second NFL offense, especially one as demanding as Johnson's?

Maybe it's because a video of Caleb Williams throwing an ill-advised pass at the Bears' Family Fest was red meat for media and non-Bears fans to proclaim the former Heisman Trophy winner was a lost cause.

Or, maybe it's just because the Bears have become an easy target for those talking heads, especially when it comes to the franchise's history of failed starting quarterbacks. Indeed, Chicago is the only team that's never fielded a 4,000-yard passer, and they're coming off a string of first-round busts in Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields.

Who knows the real reason, but what we do know is that NFL Network's Kyle Brandt has had enough of the Caleb Williams hate. In fact, Williams serves as an example of a bigger league-wide problem, one that involves the national media harping on poor practice performances despite evidence of MVP regular seasons that were once preceded by pretty poor training camps.

Check out Brandt's complete rant. It's fantastic:

The first sort-of live action for the Chicago Bears will come on August 10, when they square off against the Miami Dolphins in their 2025 preseason opener. And while even the summer scrimmages don't offer much of a clue for how the regular season will go, at least we'll gauge where the offense is at in its installation with a month or so before Week 1's Monday night showdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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