Is it time to sit Caleb Williams to protect his health? |
When the 2024 NFL season got underway, much of the talk surrounding the NFC was about how good Caleb Williams could be and where this team could go. Through 15 weeks, you have seen how good Williams can be, as he has proven to be every bit of the franchise quarterback the Bears have been long searching for.
The only issue with that is if it hadn't been for the play of Williams, you have to wonder if the Bears would've even won a game this season, as the team has already lost nine straight games with a chance at losing 11 straight to close out the season. Whenever that happens, there are always serious questions to answer, and many of those questions tend to sit around whether or not specific players should be playing. You started to hear some of those questions early in the season when Williams was struggling, but part of that fell on Shane Waldron, who was in over his head as an Offensive Coordinator. In the seven games since Waldron was fired, Thomas Brown and Chris Beaty have taken over as the offensive play-callers, and it has helped Williams tremendously. Not only has he not thrown an interception in eight games, but he has now set the rookie passing record for most attempts without an interception. That is hard to believe when you look at how his season started, but it is a testament to how good he can be when things are clicking. There have also been times when Williams has looked like an MVP-caliber quarterback under center, as he has done more than his share to keep the Bears competitive in games. That is something you like to see from a young player learning how to develop in this game, and it's clear that the Bears are in good hands with him under center. Despite all the good that comes from Williams, there are some bad things, and one of the bad things is his inconsistent accuracy at times. As is the case with many rookies, young QBs tend to struggle with their accuracy, and he has sometimes had issues making even the simplest throws. You also have to consider how many times he has been sacked as Williams not only leads the NFL sacks taken with 61, but he is now just 11 away from the all-time record, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. A lot of those sacks are on Williams for holding the ball too long, but when your offensive line continues to struggle in pass protection, there isn't a lot he can do. Now, with Braxton Jones down with a season-ending ankle injury, the Bears offensive line is going to be in an even tougher spot as they must now fill the place of another down starter. You saw what happened the last time the Bears did that against the Vikings on Monday, as their replacement OT was like a turnstile in that game. Depending on who the Bears choose to replace Jones, that could happen again, especially with the Seahawks and Packers up next. Knowing that the Bears are eliminated from playoff contention, it may be time to go into tank mode and sit Williams in favor of Bagent. This is one of those cases where benching Williams wouldn't be a demotion, but instead, it would be to protect him knowing the shots he has taken this season. At this point in the season, every rep is important for Williams, but is it worth keeping him out there if he continues to take the shots he has taken. While tanking is a slap in the face to fans, most fans gave up on this season-long ago and would be on board with the Bears losing their next two games to better their draft pick. Don't tell that to this locker room, as they not only want to have each other's back but also have too much pride to simply lose out on purpose. With a short week coming up against the Seahawks before closing out the season with Green Bay, the Bears will have many questions to address about how to proceed the rest of the way. Playing Williams or not playing him is the biggest question for this team as they continue to focus on the future and not the present.
