Bear Digest

The exclusive starting rookie QB club without Caleb Williams in it

The Bears quarterback has extra incentive for 2025 after he was the only first-round rookie QB starter who failed to come away with an invitation to the Pro Bowl Games.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams gets off a pass with Andrew Van Ginkel applying pressure for the Vikings.
Caleb Williams gets off a pass with Andrew Van Ginkel applying pressure for the Vikings. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Consider it one more statement about how far new Bears coach Ben Johnson must go in preparing Caleb Williams to face the 2025 season.

Rookie QB Drake Maye from New England and Steelers QB Russell Wilson were selected to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl Games after Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson chose not to participate and Patrick Mahomes had made the Super Bowl.

There was another alternate who was selected before Maye. This was Denver quarterback Bo Nix, but he is having surgery and can't participate in these games the league holds in lieu of playing an actual tackle football all-star game.

Second overall pick Jayden Daniels made it in the NFC, along with veteran QBs Sam Darnold and Jared Goff.

So, three of the four Round 1 rookie quarterbacks who started most of the season's games received Pro Bowl invitations.

The only quarterback of those who didn't reach this status was the quarterback selected No. 1 overall overall, Williams.

The Bears quarterback will have that extra spur under his seat when work begins in 2025, and GM Ryan Poles thinks there will be more push provided from coach Ben Johnson.

"He's going to be challenged to be a professional football player, to do the little things the right way," Poles said of Williams. "That foundation, I know Ben is going to hit that early and often, get that foundation strong, because you’re going to build everything off of there.

"So once that’s there, now we can continue to get better and play more consistently."

Johnson has expressed confidence in Williams' ability to turn it around.

"He's fearless playing that position," Johnson said. "He's got so much confidence in being able to not only throw outside the numbers but between the numbers. There’s just a lot to work with right there."

2024 Rookie QB Derby

QB, pick

Passer rating

Att/Comp

Pct. Comp

Yards

TD/INTs

Daniels No. 2

100.1

331/480

.690

3,568

25/9

Nix No. 12

93.3

376/567

.663

3,775

29/12

Maye No. 3

88.1

225/338

.666

2,276

15/10

C. Williams No. 1

87.8

351/562

.625

3,541

20/6

Michael Penix No. 8

78.9

61/105

.581

775

3/3

*J.J. McCarthy, No. 10, did not play due to injury

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Published
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.