The Chicago Bears’ quarterback dilemma is coming to a head and a decision on where the team will be headed is, reportedly, coming soon.
Does Chicago use it’s no. 1 overall pick in this April’s NFL draft to select USC Heisman award-winning blue chip prospect Caleb Williams or does the team stick with current starting QB Justin Fields?
By most accounts, Williams is a special talent, fitting the mold of a potential legend. The consensus among experts is that the Bears will keep that no. 1 pick and trade the talented, but sometimes inconsistent Fields.
However, not everyone is on board when it comes to the “Williams is special” assessment.
Chicago Bears Warnings About Caleb Williams
Former NFL running back, Merril Hoge, who played eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, believes that Williams is more hype than substance.
“The one thing that is clear [is that] he is not special,” Hoge told NBC Sports Chicago. “He is not something unique like Patrick Mahomes. And I hope the Bears don’t think ‘Well, let’s try to make up for our mistake for when we passed on Patrick Mahomes and go get Patrick Mahomes.’ The kid is not Patrick Mahomes. He ain’t even remotely close to that.”
“First of all, his ability to throw on the run is very disturbing,” Hoge added. “It is very inaccurate and it’s all over the place. There’s a ton of RPO, which nobody is going to RPO themselves to a Super Bowl in our league…You gotta push the ball down the field. There are times when he does that. He doesn’t play with a lot of anticipation because of all the clean pockets that exist for him.
“The thing that’s disturbing me right now is his inability to be consistent on the move as a thrower. And he’s willing to do that a lot more than he has to. You don’t have that choice in our league…I don’t see anything magical with his arm. There’s not enough there at this point for me to be like we’re getting rid of Justin Fields and bring this guy in, who’s never played in the National Football League and has to overcome all of those hurdles just to give us a chance to win.”
In a subsequent interview with 670 The Score, Hoge would double down on his feelings about Williams.
“From a pocket presence, he is not special,” Hoge said. “He has a gift that everybody thinks is exciting and special and that is his unique mobility. That’s not going to win you championships and being exciting is not a skill set.”
Hoge may be in the minority when it comes to his feelings about Williams, but he’s not the only high-profile expert who has his doubts about the young quarterback.
Williams’ Mental Makeup
Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly blasted Williams not too long ago, focusing on his mental makeup rather than his physical ability.
“I believe any team considering Caleb Williams needs to think about the high risk from the neck up based on Williams actions, conduct and words that he’s demonstrated,” Kelly stated via Twitter/X.
“From painting his fingernails with obscenities aimed at opponents to refusing to shaking hands with Utah and refusing to speak to reporters after the UCLA game, Williams has given NFL owners and decision makers a lot to talk about.
…He’s much closer to Johnny Manziel than Patrick Mahomes on the spectrum.”
Those are some pretty harsh words for the 22-year-old likely Chicago Bear and, also, some cautionary advice. Decisions are in the process of being made and time will tell if the Chicago front office pays any sort of attention to the minority opinion.