There's been plenty of discourse surrounding Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams after just one NFL season. The former first overall pick had a solid rookie season, but he wasn't without his struggles amid a chaotic 5-12 campaign marred by coaching ineptitude.
The Bears have made Williams a priority this offseason, including the hiring of new head coach (and offensive and QB guru) Ben Johnson, as well as shoring up the offensive line and adding more weapons. But that still hasn't quieted the detractors, who some are already doubting Williams' future after just one season (and before Johnson gets a chance to work with him).
On Friday's "Get Up" on ESPN, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum discussed his doubts about whether Williams has a future with the Bears -- while acknowledging the awful situation Williams dealt with last season.
“I am not (convinced about Williams in Chicago),” Tannenbaum said. “I worked with Ben Johnson in Miami, the new head coach of the Bears. He is going to be a rule-based, disciplined play caller and coach. When you have 68 sacks? Look, the Bears were not great in coaching, not great in personnel last year but you have to bear some of that responsibility. No team has done more for their quarterback in this offseason than the Bears. We’ll see if he’ll get better, but I am concerned by his lack of his discipline in his fundamentals, that’s not going to allow him to maximize his potential.”
For what it's worth, Tannebaum was part of several franchises that drafted the following quarterbacks: Brooks Bollinger, Kellen Clemens, Brad Smith, Erik Ainge, Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy and Brandon Doughty, while also trading for Tim Tebow.
Meanwhile, Michael Wilbon, who's well-versed in Chicago sports, wholly disagreed with Tannenbaum's assertion and believes Williams is the exception to the Bears' quarterback woes.
“For 60 years, I have followed every move of this team, and I’m not exaggerating – 60," Wilbon said. "What I know for certain is the Bears are going to screw up the quarterback situation. They’re going to draft the wrong guy, they’re going to have the wrong coach, they’re going to coach that guy poorly, okay. That I know. That is not the case here, okay. I’m paying attention in a way that not either of these two guys are, who’ve forgotten more football in general than I’ll ever know. That is not the case with Caleb Williams.”
We're still several years from learning whether Williams has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback in Chicago. But with the arrival of Johnson, an improved offensive line and experience under his belt, the sky is the limit for Williams.
