Being criticized has always come with the territory for Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
And through four NFL starts, so far, that criticism hasn't stopped. In fact, there are some who are outing themselves as people who will simply and blindly hate regardless of what's actually happening on the field.
It is easier for some to critique Williams due to the fact that fellow rookie Jayden Daniels has played so well, but comparing is what many of us do best.
In one of his latest columns, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer took a question from a fan asking if a "significant amount of people around the league" have expressed worry or a "sense of alarm" over the way Williams has played thus far.
Breer's answer was straight to the point and should put any of the panic (mostly from fans) to rest:
"Nope. His progress has been steady. He’s a three-year college guy. The Chicago Bears are good enough everywhere else to give him the leeway to figure things out (as they showed in wins over the Tennessee Titans and Rams)."
We can dive into deeper and more intricate numbers if we wanted to, but the improvement from Williams is plain to see. For those who cannot see it, I'm not sure what to tell you.
Williams has looked far more comfortable the more this season goes on. Against the Rams, he played his best game of the year. To anyone shouting over his 157 passing yards compared to the previous week's 363 against the Colts, you weren't watching close enough.
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It's more than just his passing yardage. It's about his comfort and command. A very simple explanation of his improvement could be evidenced by numbers, if we checked into his passer rating on a weekly basis, though.
Week 1: 55.7
Week 2: 51.0
Week 3: 80.8
Week 4: 106.6
Additionally, Williams' completion percentage has increased every single week this year, starting at 48.3 in Week 1 and most recently 73.9 against the Rams.
Williams is doing what he should be doing -- improving. Every week, there have been visible moments of improvement where fans have been able to see exactly why he was taken with that no. 1 overall pick this year.
For anyone panicking or continuing to criticize the rookie, there really aren't any legitimate reasons to do so. He has done a lot of things very well, especially the things that don't show up on the stat sheet.
When he really starts to get it going, we'll all forget about his rookie "struggles" which, by the way, are completely normal. It's been tough sledding at times, between ineptitude in play calling and inconsistency on the offensive line. But, Williams is doing what he's supposed to be right now.
No need to panic. And if you believe there is real panic out there, just know that the people around the NFL, with high-paying jobs in the sport, do not share the same sentiment.
