There are plenty of reasons that make Caleb Williams special as a quarterback. His combination of arm strength and accuracy is a good place to start. He can fit the ball into windows that most can’t. Add his mobility and rare instincts for avoiding pressure to make plays on the run, and it’s not hard to see why the Chicago Bears quickly grew comfortable with him as their #1 overall pick. Since then, people have gotten to know Williams as a player and teammate through various interviews.
I, too, have learned about the Bears’ new quarterback. It was during this process that I noticed something fascinating. Stacey Dales of NFL Network covers the Bears regularly. She appeared on The Rich Eisen Show to talk about Williams’ progress. While talking about him, they showed a photograph of him gripping a football as he prepared to throw. A specific detail popped up at that moment. Williams appeared to have his index finger over the tip of the ball.
The vast majority of quarterbacks in the NFL have their index finger further down the base of the football, which is the customary grip. I started wondering if the photo used was an anomaly, so I looked back at Williams’ time in college and even high school. Sure enough, the finger over the tip was there consistently.
This is so interesting because it’s a grip that isn’t seen in the NFL very often. In fact, only one name in league history became famous for using it: four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bradshaw spoke about it when discussing his career with NFL Films. He stated the reason for having his finger over the tip was it allowed him to put some extra velocity behind each one. The finger would literally push the ball forward and his hands were strong enough to still manage a spiral. Bradshaw had one of the strongest arms of his era. While people didn’t quite understand how it worked, nobody could argue with the results. There is a strong probability Williams does it for the same reasons.
He knows velocity and distance are often vital when throwing footballs. He had to find any advantage possible to give himself an edge. No doubt, he tested various grips to see what worked and likely discovered the same thing Bradshaw did. It would explain why Caleb Williams is often so effective at throwing the ball deep while on the run. Obviously, this unique quirk doesn’t automatically mean he will be great, but it is interesting to see that he’s the first quarterback of note in a long time to have it.
