Reynolds's hot take: bears' williams will leave fans disappointed

By: Finn Reynolds

Over the last two seasons of college football, Caleb Williams has been the star of the show. He's been heralded by analysts as the next great quarterback, a generational player, and someone who has no weaknesses and can compete as a rookie. 

But too many people are blinded by their impressions and don't look further into the player he is. While there is no denying he is an amazing player, his weaknesses will be far more exploited than his talents in the NFL.

​Playing in college doesn't mean anything. There are plenty of QBs who never won anything or didn't crush college, but still performed well in the NFL. Despite his collegiate success, don’t expect Williams to be one of them.

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During his sophomore year, Williams won the Heisman and was lauded as THE college quarterback. Naturally, USC was labeled an early season title contender. But the team underperformed in the 2023-2024 season and posted an 8-5 record. Now, it is true that the defense was not very good, but that should not have affected the offense. Still, this season saw Williams and the offense regress. 

This year, Williams threw for 3,600 yards, a far cry from last year’s total of 4,500, and threw 10 less touchdowns. By all measured statistics he wasn't even a top 5 QB in the NCAA this year. If he is falling off and can't win games in college, how is he supposed to do it in the NFL? Everyone always talked about his potential, but when you peak early and then your team has a mediocre season, all signs point to challenges ahead. 

On top of that, Williams did not participate in any pre-draft workouts or the combine, assured he was the presumptive first pick in the draft (The Chicago Bears, of course, made him their franchise quarterback on April 25). He has no measurables or medical evaluations. 

While I understand that he was going to be chosen No. 1 overall, missing out on these activities just doesn’t sit well. If he is as great as everyone says, then why didn't he want to participate and silence critics? 

Williams is coming into the NFL with some of the highest expectations of a prospect ever. He is intended to be a top starter in the league from the second he gets on the field. It’s important to also recognize that he will still be a rookie, learning how to lead a team and how to compete in the NFL week to week. 

When someone is labeled the best, few expect that player to falter or show flaws – but that is an unrealistic expectation. Williams has not shown that he will live up to these presumptions based on his skill set. For that reason, come the fall, many people will be disappointed. Not because he isn’t a decent player, but because he can’t possibly live up to the illusions of fans’ expectations.