Rex Grossman was the last quarterback to take the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl when they lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 season. Grossman recently defended his legacy with the Bears offense while explaining why Caleb Williams is set up to have better success under head coach Ben Johnson.
Grossman’s best season came in 2006, when he threw for 3,193 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. It was the only season the injury-riddled quarterback started more than seven games for Chicago.
Grossman’s career was another frustration in a long line of former Bears quarterbacks taken in the first round, including Cade McNown, Mitch Trubisky, and Justin Fields. No Chicago quarterback has ever thrown for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a single season.
Rex Grossman argues the 2006 Chicago Bears weren’t set up to pass
In an interview with Kyle Odegard of Cardplayer.com, Grossman argued that he never put up 4,000 yards because the 2006 team wasn’t set up to pass the ball. Grossman thinks Williams will smash the 4,000-yard mark in the upcoming season.
“During our Super Bowl run, we were ahead in a lot of games and didn’t throw the ball a lot,” Grossman said. “That really wasn’t our identity. We were more play-action pass, run the ball and quick passes. I did have some big games but the priority of that season wasn’t to put up stats.
“Stats are great if you have the personnel and the play package to throw the ball a lot. I think they will have a balanced offense and he’ll be around 4,200 or 4,300 yards this year.”
“He loves to throw on the run and make big plays that way, so if he can get a little more of Jared Goff in him and then also do what he does best, he’s going to be phenomenal,” Grossman said.
Caleb Williams can be dangerous
Grossman believes Johnson will tailor the offense to fit Williams’ athletic strengths. He thinks Williams’ ability to throw on the run will make him dangerous in the league, something Grossman couldn’t do as a strict pocket passer.
“A lot of people can’t (succeed out of structure), so he’s got something a lot of people can’t do,” Grossman said. “I sure as hell couldn’t do it. I was pretty much stuck in the pocket and I had to. He’s kind of got to force himself to resist the urge of rolling out when he doesn’t need to, or taking unnecessary sacks.
“If you keep to schedule, meaning you keep your third downs manageable, it makes it a lot easier.”
Williams still needs to balance his willingness to keep a play alive versus making a cautious throw. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft took a league-high 68 sacks trying to do too much outside the pocket.
If Williams can follow Grossman’s advice, he can avoid becoming like Grossman and a host of other Bears quarterbacks.
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