Packers coach Matt LaFleur gives Caleb Williams major props for this elite ability

LaFleur likened the Bears quarterback to a magician for his ability to escape pressure.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) avoids a sack during the fourth quarter of their game Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 24-22. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This Sunday’s hugely important tilt between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers won’t be Matt LaFleur’s first impression of Caleb Williams, having faced the young quarterback twice last year.

But in at least one way, Williams is a very different from the last time they met in Chicago’s last-second win in Week 18 of the 2024 season.

Back then, Williams was a talented but oft-sacked passer whose love of playing off-schedule got him into trouble. In fact, he got taken down more than any quarterback in the NFL last year (68 sacks, 28.2 pressure-to-sack rate). These days, it’s almost impossible to get Williams on the ground (only 19 sacks, 12.5% P2S rate) —not just because of his improved offensive line but because of his own uncanny skill at making people miss.

The Packers’ head coach has taken notice.

"He's a true dual-threat kind of guy in regards to his ability to move the sticks with his legs and make those off-schedule plays," LaFleur told reporters Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s matchup. "There's not a throw on the field he can't make. We've seen a ton of growth, as much as any quarterback in this league from year one to year two."

Matt LaFleur equates Caleb Williams to a magician with the way he's able to avoid sacks and negative situations.

"He's a true dual-threat kind of guy in regards to his ability to move the sticks with his legs and make those off-schedule plays," he says. "There's not a throw on…

— zach jacobson (@zacobson) December 1, 2025

Hard to say fairer than that.

Williams might have his warts, especially his relatively low completion percentage (58.1%). But his avoidance of negative plays in the forms of sacks, fumbles, and interceptions has been extraordinary. Arguably no quarterback in the league is as good at creating on the move without getting sacked as Williams is, and his growing comfort with Ben Johnson’s offense has helped it become the NFL’s most explosive unit.

Newly acquired edge rusher Micah Parsons will certainly test Williams’ mettle this weekend and in the rivals’ next class three weekends from now. So will his bout with Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett in between those meetings.

But LaFleur isn’t taking Williams’ magic for granted, and he knows the Packers will need to keep him bottled up if they’re going to steal the NFC North crown back from the Bears.

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