Caleb Williams knows the biggest challenge for him isn’t learning how to play from the pocket. It’s not convincing his teammates that he can be a leader or that he is absorbing the massive new playbook. No, his mountain to climb would be making believers out of the millions of people spurned far too many times in the past by previous Bears quarterbacks. He inherits a mantle held by many former “saviors.” Guys who came in with massive expectations but either disappointed or crashed and burned. Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, Jay Cutler, Rex Grossman, and Cade McNown all felt that pressure at one point. It was almost 30 long years of misery outside of one or two bright moments.
Plenty of people didn’t feel Williams, with his Hollywood reputation and emotional displays at USC, could handle the immense weight of expectations in Chicago. Count Jason Lieser among them. The Chicago Sun-Times columnist is well-known for his relentless skepticism of everything the Bears do. He’s been outspoken about their quarterback inadequacies and the organization’s failure to build around them. However, his comments on the Under Center podcast suggest that Williams has somehow convinced him, of all people, that the Bears finally got it right.
The concern was he wouldn’t know how to handle the large media atmosphere and the pressures of a passionate fanbase like Chicago. Across the first four months, those worries seem unfounded. Williams has handled himself like a professional. He seems unbothered by criticism and is willing to give honest answers when warranted. The self-confidence is obvious. Williams looks like somebody who has prepared for this moment since he was 10, which is the actual case.
Handling the pressure is nothing new to him. The big hurdle is learning to process defenses at the NFL level and operating with premium consistency. Only elite quarterbacks can do that. Caleb Williams has set the bar extremely high for himself. He isn’t aiming for MVPs or a Hall of Fame bust. His goal is one thing: the Super Bowl championship record. That means eight rings, topping Tom Brady’s seven. Whether he reaches that goal or not. It is the willingness to go for it that should have Bears fans excited. Lieser is correct. If you’re going to pursue a goal, you might as well raise expectations as high as you can.
