Getty Quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was the object of some ire from inside his locker room before the team decided to fire former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron this week.
Multiple veteran players went to head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles and asked for a change under center from Williams to backup QB Tyson Bagent ahead of Waldron’s firing and following a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 10.
The team did not make that change as requested. It did, however, move on from Waldron following the offense’s second consecutive game sans a touchdown.
Reporters asked Williams about the apparent rift in the locker room and whether he believes he is fully supported by the balance of the players within it.
“I think those guys are good. We talk about it. I think I got full support from them,” Williams said during a media session on Wednesday, November 13. “I’ve gotten texts or calls or people coming up to me, with this situation that just happened, coming up to me and saying, ‘We got your back, we’re with you.’ You know, things like that. And, ‘Let’s go.’ That kind of mindset and attitude has been what it’s been this past couple days.”
Caleb Williams Subject to New NFL Trend Emerging Around Young QBs
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
While NFL teams have been throwing rookie signal callers immediately into the fire for awhile now, the leashes also seem to be getting shorter.
The Carolina Panthers yanked Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, after just 18 starts through his first two seasons in favor of Andy Dalton. Carolina’s decision was also impacted by a faction of veterans in the locker room who watched Dalton outperform Young consistently during practice.
Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson also found the bench for two straight weeks after he tapped his helmet following a big hit against the Houston Texans, pulling himself out of the contest for a single play and relaying to the media after the game that he did so due to issues of fatigue. The subsequent media scrutiny may have played a role in Richardson’s shelving, though presumably players wearing his same uniform took issue with the QB’s call.
Ultimately, both Young and Richardson reclaimed their jobs from aging veterans in Dalton and Joe Flacco, respectively. However, an injury via a car accident and consistently poor play from Dalton over several games played a role in his move back to second-string. If Flacco had been more effective and the Colts were 2-0 rather than 0-2 in his two starts over the past two weeks, Richardson might still be on the bench as well.
Caleb Williams Could Face More Locker Room Challenges as Bears Face Tough Schedule Down Stretch
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Marc Silverman of ESPN 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy” show never named names when he reported on Tuesday morning that players had gone to the team’s top decision makers in an effort to oust Williams, however temporarily, from the starting QB spot.
“After talking to a few people with knowledge of the situation, players went to Matt Eberflus & Ryan Poles asking them to make a change at offensive coordinator,” Silverman posted to X. “There have also been a few veteran players requesting Bagent starts.”
It’s not unreasonable to think, though, that those players — whoever they are — may still be of the opinion that Bagent gives the Bears the best chance to win moving forward. Chicago has the toughest remaining schedule in the league, not to mention a banged up offensive line that isn’t great when healthy, so more losing and strife are likely in store for the Bears locker room.
That makes this story one to watch moving forward.
