by Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams spent his first month in the NFL alternating between brief flashes that made him a Heisman Trophy winner and a No. 1 overall pick and a rookie dealing with the NFL’s brutal learning curve.
Five weeks into his career, Williams played his best and most complete game in Sunday’s 36-10 win against Carolina.
Some caveats apply. The Panthers are a modest 1-4, and their defense remains one of the worst against the pass in the NFL. And yet, even in September, Chicago rarely looked like a competitor, which put into perspective the strength of Williams’ controlled performance Sunday, when he completed 20 of his 29 passes for 296 yards, with two touchdowns and no turnovers.
In his first four games, Williams completed 61% of his passes while consistently being sacked and unable to rely on a ground game that averaged 3.5 yards per carry, second-worst in the league. That average barely budged against the Panthers, but when Carolina had to factor in D’Andre Swift’s early productivity as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield, it opened up throws for Williams in game action.
Williams completed just 48% of his passes in his NFL debut, then was sacked seven times and threw two interceptions in his second game. In three games since then, he has found some measure of consistency, with five combined touchdowns against two interceptions, with a 67% completion rate.
Interest in Sunday’s game had been a year and a half in the making. The futures of both the Panthers and Bears have been intertwined since Carolina traded with Chicago in March 2023 to move up in the draft and select Bryce Young first overall. Among other assets, the trade netted Chicago a 2024 first-round pick that ultimately became the No. 1 pick, which was used to draft Williams. (Also in trade? Receiver DJ Moore, who caught five passes for 105 yards, including both touchdowns Williams threw.)
But with Young staying in Andy Dalton’s favor until the final minutes of Sunday’s slam, all eyes were solely on Williams, rather than a showdown of No. 1 picks in back-to-back years. And with good reason.
