Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has now addressed the elephant in the room, clearing a fresh path for the 2025 campaign. However, the revelation of Williams’ pre-draft intentions with the Bears has earned plenty of headlines during the offseason.
Williams originally didn’t want to play for the Bears, according to an upcoming book by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. He requested the team trade their No. 1 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings and even considered joining the UFL to avoid going to Chicago altogether.
Alongside that bombshell was the report of how former head coach Matt Eberflus and company handled film room sessions. In short, they didn’t do much, as Williams admitted he wasn’t given much guidance when it came to film.
He isn’t the only quarterback to have gone through a similar learning curve. Williams must learn from former Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers standout Alex Smith when it comes to digesting film at the NFL level, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.
“I spent years just wandering around in the film room having no idea what to look at,” said Smith, who is now an ESPN analyst. “It took me a long time to find my own way on how to do this efficiently. Like years and years and years.”
“I ran basically 20, 25 plays in college over and over and over again,” Smith said. “And I saw three defenses. Very vanilla stuff. It’s not that hard to prep.
“But in the NFL, you’re getting a new game plan every single week, so it’s brand-new offense formations, shifts, motions, and it’s obviously by a multiple of 10 to 20, and this changes every week. And defensively, you’re getting ready for way more volume.”
Caleb Williams film problems
The quarterback was adamant that he knows what to look for when watching film. It was just deciphering what he was watching and translating it on the field where the lack of communication broke down.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to watch film,” Williams said in May. “It was more or less the sense of learning shortcuts … learning ways to watch film and be more efficient. Learning ways to pick things up better.”
But Smith completely understands that point of view from a rookie. Williams was heralded all offseason after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick. But eventually it’s time to put the pads on and go to work. Even the first overall selection is going to have questions in his first year. Smith knows that having the right outlet to get answers is crucial in development.
“Sometimes as a young quarterback, you don’t know what to ask,” Smith said. “You don’t want to sound stupid, so you don’t get the clarification you should.”
Ever since Ben Johnson’s arrival, both head coach and quarterback appear to be on the same page. Johnson is already tinkering with Williams’ technique in an effort to find his ceiling. While there won’t be cameras in the film room, the head coach is taking a hands on approach in developing his quarterback.
Case Keenum gives Williams, Chicago Bears a boost
Smith was still with the 49ers in 2008, when the team brought in fellow quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Sean Hill. With their help, the quarterback finally found his path in the NFL.
“It was a lot of trial and error over the years and finally figuring out what works for you and how to really do it efficiently,” Smith said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. There’s such limited time in the week to master this.”
For Williams, veteran Case Keenum will serve as his Dilfer/Hill. Out of the league in 2024, the Bears signed Keenum to a one-year contract during the offseason. With 80 games of NFL experience under his belt, there is plenty of knowledge Keenum can pass along to Williams. While the veteran is battling for the backup job, how he mentors the quarterback is his most important role during the offseason.
Ultimately, it’ll be up to Williams to take a step forward and prove to be the quarterback the Bears thought he was drafted. But with a change in film approach and a strong support system, the former No. 1 pick has been put in a strong position to succeed. If he’s anything like Smith, that includes reaching the Pro Bowl.
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