Caleb Williams: Why Some Believe He Might Be the Worst QB in the NFL Right Now
Let’s get real: Caleb Williams was hyped. He was the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Expectations were huge. But through bits of this season (and definitely in his rookie year), there’s been a growing chorus of fans and analysts who believe he’s been one of the weakest starting quarterbacks in the league — maybe even the worst. Here’s what supports that claim, what works against it, and what the Bears are going through because of it.
What’s Going Wrong
- Getting beat up too much
Williams has been sacked a ton. In 2024, he took 68 sacks. FOX Sports+2SI+2 That’s not just “bad luck” — that’s consistent pressure showing up in almost every game. A QB that gets sacked that much ends up playing with urgency, stress, maybe getting tentative in the pocket. It becomes mental and physical toll. NFL.com+2NFL.com+2 - Accuracy & downfield throws issues
One big knock is that Williams often misses even easier or wide open throws. He has struggled especially on longer down-field throws (15+ air yards). ESPN.com+2Heavy Sports+2 His completion percentage, especially when under pressure or asked to push the ball downfield, has been low compared to peers. ESPN.com+1 - Slow processing / holding the ball too long
Many analysts and coaches say Williams holds the ball too long, contributing to sacks, negative plays, and lost momentum. Heavy Sports+2Marquee Sports Network+2 Also, when pressure isn’t there early, sometimes the delay still causes problems. NFL Analysis+1 - Bad supporting cast, but that only explains so much
The Bears’ offensive line has been weak, injuries have piled up, play-calling inconsistent, receivers sometimes not open or getting double covered. All that matters. But even with lousy protection, elite QBs find ways to mitigate. There’s a sense Williams hasn’t found enough of those ways yet. ESPN.com+2NFL.com+2 - Team record / performance reflects struggles
Chicago’s been losing a lot. Long losing streaks, poor third-down conversions, many negative plays, failure in clutch moments (missed completions, turnovers, sacks) have hurt them. Example: went 1-of-12 on third downs in one game; or various games where clock management or late interceptions sealed losses. NFL.com+2NFL.com+2
What Works Against That Argument
It’s not totally fair to just dump on Williams without acknowledging some positives or context:
- He’s a rookie, still learning. The transition from college to the NFL for QBs almost always has growing pains.
- The Bears haven’t been stable: coaching changes, bad offensive line, injuries, etc. Some of the blame goes to the system around him as much as to him. ESPN.com+2FOX Sports+2
- Despite the negatives, there are flashes. Some metrics are not disastrous (e.g. avoiding turnovers relative to how pressured he is) and there have been moments where he shows good decision-making under pressure. SI+3Heavy Sports+3Wikipedia+3
Why the Bears Are Suffering Because of Him (or With Him)
When your quarterback is one of the main sources of negative plays (sacks, missed open throws, holding the ball, slow reads), it bleeds into the whole offense. Here’s how the Bears suffer:
- Momentum kills – Drives that could go well get killed early because of pressure / sacks. It affects morale.
- Field position & scoring opportunities lost – If a QB gets sacked, or the play breaks down, or doesn’t hit the easy completions, you often get stuck inside your own half or lose down & distance.
- Reduced confidence in passing game – Receivers, coaches, and Williams himself might begin to modify ambitions (play more safe, fewer risky throws) which limits the explosiveness of the offense.
- More burden on defense & running game – If the offense can’t sustain drives, score reliably, or finish close games, the defense has to do more, the running game becomes more of a crutch, and the team’s game plan becomes reactive rather than proactive.
- Fan & media pressure – Expectations were sky high, so underperformance is magnified. That can affect coaching decisions, play calls, even how Williams is treated in lineup / scheme. All that noise makes things harder.
Conclusion: Is He Actually the Worst?
Saying Caleb Williams is the worst QB in the NFL is heavy — and while many of his stats & performances give ammunition for that claim, it’s not totally accurate to fix that label cleanly right now.
If “worst” means among starters, in terms of performance, consistency, and impact on team success — yes, arguments can be made that he’s near the bottom (especially when comparing to other rookie QBs who might be more polished already). But there’s still time, and context matters a lot.
