Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' 2024 season was, in many ways, a mixed bag. He had some dazzling highlights that left Bears fans dreaming of Super Bowls and some "throw the damn ball!" moments that left those same fans crazed.
But when the clock on his rookie season expired, the hope Williams brought to the Bears when he was selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft remained.
Williams' rookie year ended with 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He proved capable of making plays with his legs, too, running for an impressive 489 yards on 81 carries.
Williams' passing yards were the fifth-highest single-season total in Bears franchise history (it was a Bears rookie record, too). His streak of 353 passes without an interception set an NFL rookie record and was the longest run of turnover-free passes this season.
Yet, the dysfunction surrounding the Bears and coach Matt Eberflus tarnished all of the good that Williams accomplished.
Caleb Williams' rookie season was far from perfect. His processing time was slower than ideal, and he lacked situational awareness in a few big spots this year. But to suggest he wasn't one of the 10 best rookies in the NFL in 2024 is a harsh overreaction, which is what NFL Network's Peter Schrager did in his list of the top first-year players this season.
Not only is Caleb Williams not on this list, but he was leapfrogged by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
I don't get it. Someone make it make sense. Sure, Maye flashed serious upside in 2024, but he also made some horrendous throws and horrendous decisions that led to the kind of turnovers that Williams didn't commit.
Maye didn't lead the Patriots to any signature victories. He didn't give New England a chance to win late in games only to have his teammates and coaches fail him (like Williams did). Instead, Maye's rookie season was simply an appetizer for 2025 that was highlighted by... highlights.
Williams, meanwhile, led the Bears to a last-second win over the Packers in Week 18. He nearly did the same against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders until, well, you know how that game ended. He should've defeated the Lions on Thanksgiving if it wasn't for Eberflus flusing his timeouts.
The list of near-signature moments for Williams is a long one. And he deserves to be on a list like Schrager's top rookies.
