Like any young quarterback, it was going to take Caleb Williams time to make an impression on his new teammates when the Chicago Bears drafted him #1 overall. His college stardom and the high draft status meant he came in with immediate expectations. That can often lead to skepticism from veteran players. In the span of only a few months, Williams has managed to win over everybody in the locker room. Guys talk about him with smiles on their faces. They love his leadership and dedication to the game.
After five weeks of the season, during which the Bears have gone 3-2, they are gaining an even greater appreciation for his talent. In fact, D’Andre Swift may have already found a nickname for Williams. It came after the quarterback ducked and dodged Carolina Panthers pass rushers to pick up a crucial 1st down. His ability to avoid a sack was downright absurd. After the play, Swift came up to him and muttered a simple statement.
“I’m gonna start calling you Houdini.”
Harry Houdini, of course, is one of the most celebrated magicians in history. He was widely renowned as one of the all-time great escape artists, putting himself into deadly situations and finding a way out every time. That sums up Williams perfectly. For all of his arm talent and intelligence, his ability to feel pressure and avoid it with his legs made him a nightmare to defend in college. It was why he kept earning comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. That play was only one of many examples.
Time will tell if the Houdini moniker sticks. Hopefully, it will because it would easily be one of the best in the NFL. The hope for Caleb Williams is he will do it in much more meaningful games in the coming weeks. If he pulls off something like that against Green Bay or Minnesota? People may lose their minds.
