C.J. Stroud didn’t get to spend much time watching how Caleb Williams’ debut went for the Chicago Bears, but he knows that come Sunday Night, one team will remain undefeated while the other sits at .500.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was far from perfect in his debut against the Tennessee Titans. He failed to total 100 passing yards and completed less than 55 percent of his pass attempts.
But it’s the first game. Things will improve. They have given Williams’ hyper athleticism, poise and jaw-dropping skills under center following a two-year domination as USC’s starter under Lincoln Riley.
That’s the version the Bears need Williams to be if they plan on competing for a spot in the NFC postseason each year.
That’s the version Stroud believes Williams must be if he plans on lasting in the league.
“Be yourself,” Stroud said following Wednesday’s practice. “Understand whatever got you here is good enough.”
Rookies will have their struggles while developing into standouts. Every position has its growing pains over 18 weeks.
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Well, minus Stroud. He set a new standard for rookie passers after guiding the Houston Texans to their first playoff appearance in four years while becoming the fifth passer in league history to throw for 4,000 yards in Year 1.
On top of being named Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only other quarterback to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio in the same season. Neither Hall of Fame passer did that as a rookie.
But Stroud, fresh off a two-touchdown performance in a 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts, said he doesn’t miss being a rookie quarterback. There’s pressure to be the face of a franchise months after leaving the college life behind.
It’s the same pressure Williams faces now in Chicago. The Bears are the only franchise without a passer to throw for over 4,000 yards since their founding in 1920. Chicago’s also hit the reset button at quarterback three times in eight years via the draft with a first-round pick.
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Williams is expected to solve the century-long problem in Chicago, though Bears fans have heard that narrative since before ground broke in Houston in 2002. Stroud said Williams is a playmaker who excels at extending plays and “making all the cool throws.”
Those types of plays make the highlight reel Sunday evening on the news. They don’t always lead to wins.
“You don’t gotta be a superhero, you don’t gotta try to make all the plays,” Stroud said. “Sometimes the boring plays are good.”