Caleb Williams played his first game at Soldier Field as a member of the Chicago Bears last weekend. It was certainly an emotional rollercoaster for fans. After so much pre-game hype, things didn’t start off well. The #1 overall pick went 0-for-3 on his first offensive series and the offense went 3-and-out on its first three drives. Things seemed disjointed. Most people chalked it up to a rookie going through his usual struggles. However, it turns out there might be an actual explanation for what happened beyond that simple explanation.
The latest episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks revealed an unexpected surprise. It turns out there was a problem with the communication equipment inside Williams’ helmet early in the game. Every time offensive coordinator Shane Waldron tried to relay a play call, his voice would cut out, making it difficult for the quarterback to determine what to do. To his credit, Williams didn’t panic. He handled the situation as best he could, avoiding any costly mistakes. Eventually, the Bears replaced the faulty helmet with a new one.
Williams would then lead the offense to two consecutive scoring drives in the second quarter.
It would’ve been easy to get frustrated in that moment. You’re trying to get off to a strong start and the tech you depend on to function doesn’t work. Williams understood immediately what was happening. Rather than complain, he shrugged it off and worked around the problem. That is something a veteran would’ve done. Communication issues can happen in the NFL. The equipment isn’t perfect. There will be times in the future when this happens again. If nothing else, it was a great learning opportunity for the Bears rookie.
Maybe this will get some of the more persistent critics off his back. They quickly pointed out his low completion percentage from the game, showing a lack of consistency. As always, context is key. Not only should some of his incompletions have been caught if not for circumstances out of his control, but he was also working with a significant handicap to start the game. Playing in the NFL is hard enough when all the equipment works. Try doing so without it.
