Bears' message to Caleb Williams hits the right note despite his struggles – NBC Sports Chicago

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams isn't the first rookie quarterback to enter the NFL with huge expectations but get off to a rough start.

He won't be the last.

Williams arrived in Chicago to a hero's welcome. The “generational playmaker” was expected to immediately fit into an offense armed to the brim with playmakers and lead the Bears to their projected ascension.

Then the NFL gave Williams and the Bears a tough nut to crack right from the start.

Through two games, Williams has thrown for just 267 yards and completed just 56.6 percent of his passes. The USC product has thrown two interceptions and has yet to reach the end zone.

Football is the ultimate team game. The Bears' offensive woes are not all to blame on Williams. He was inconsistent in his NFL debut, missing several passes he normally catches. He played much better in Week 2, but fell victim to a porous Bears offensive line that sacked him seven times and pressured him on 23 of 48 dropbacks against the Houston Texans, according to Next Gen Stats. According to ESPN Stats, the Bears' offensive line ranks 30th in pass block win rate after two weeks.

Still, 267 yards and zero touchdowns are not what Williams or the Bears expected after an offseason in which they were crowned the NFL's next up-and-coming team.

However, the Bears have also spent the last eight months building the right support system for Williams to deal with the expected turmoil that rookie quarterbacks face.

Williams expected more at the start of his career. Everyone did. But the Bears are focused on helping Williams overcome the obstacles and grow into the star his talent suggests he can be.

Above all, one thing is needed: patience.

“Just stay calm,” head coach Matt Eberflus said Friday at Halas Hall when asked for his message to Williams. “If you want to ride a rollercoaster, you can in the NFL, but you don't have to. You have to stay calm. You have to make sure you play and process everything and make sure those things come together.”

“Caleb is 22 years old and he's going through this for the first time. He's learning this process. He's got a good plan. He just has to stick to it and go about his business. You can listen to this, that or the other. You can't listen to the outside noise. You have to be right, do the right thing, and you'll get the right result. That's what he's doing.”

NFL history is full of extremely talented quarterbacks who took a hit early in life and responded with brilliant careers that, in some cases, even made it into the Hall of Fame.

Peyton Manning is the best example. In his first two starts, Manning completed 42 of 70 passes for 490 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. His brother Eli Manning completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw for 310 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

Matthew Stafford threw five interceptions and just one touchdown in his first two games. John Elway completed 10 of 28 passes for 120 yards and one interception.

Houston Texans star quarterback CJ Stroud started out hot, throwing for 626 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games. However, after his first month, Stroud hit a rough patch, completing less than 50 percent of his passes in three straight games from Week 5 to Week 7. Stroud threw just one interception during that time, but the Texans went 1-2 as the offense faltered.

Stroud recovered quickly and finished the season on a rocket to glory, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 games en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was defensive coordinator in San Francisco during the failure of Trey Lance and the subsequent rise of Brock Purdy, and he knows the importance of creating a supportive environment that takes the burden off a young quarterback when the inevitable difficulties arise.

“We all have to take a step back: We can't expect every young quarterback that gets drafted to shake up the league right away,” Ryans told Texans media on Thursday. “It doesn't work that way. Just look at Peyton Manning and his career and how he started his first year. He's one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but he didn't shake up the league right away as a rookie. So we have to be patient with all of these quarterbacks. Some quarterbacks take a little longer than others.”

“But it's just about everyone being patient and not everyone trying to crown the next superstar so quickly. Because it's hard to win in this league. It's hard to lead in this league, especially because these quarterbacks are so young and there's so much weight on them. I think that's too much personally. Everyone on the outside expects them to be the best in the league, but that's not it. You have to grow. You have to learn. You have to go through some growing pains. That's how you get better and become a real professional in this league.”

Williams is looking forward to the first challenges of the NFL. He came into the league with high expectations and the knowledge that not everything would go smoothly. He would have to learn a lot and he would have to adapt and grow.

“It's great. It's really awesome,” Williams said after the Bears' loss to the Texans. “You sign up for this position. You sign up for games like this. This was a playoff team last year, and to be down six points and have the ball in your hands and have a chance to win, that's all you could ask for.”

The Bears' job is to protect Williams from the frustration that could arise if the early struggles continue. They know Williams is their most valuable player, and this season is about fostering the growth and development of a rare talent who, if successful, can lead the franchise to coveted heights.

Patience. Patience. Patience.

“I think for him it's the same thing as last week, which is you stay grounded,” offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said. “I think the turnaround in the NFL happens so quickly. It's a long season. There's going to be good and bad for every single team in the league. And how do you come back on Monday, whether it's after a great win or a loss. … It's still not what anybody is looking for — but how do you come to work on Monday with a positive attitude and look forward? Stay grounded. You can't change the past, but you can impact the future by your actions that day.”

By all accounts, Williams is staying balanced as he processes the blows he has taken, learns from them, and puts in the work necessary to improve.

“I'd say he's handling it pretty well,” left guard Teven Jenkins said Friday. “His body language has stayed the same here. He hasn't shown any frustration. He hasn't shown any fluctuations from outside noise or anything. I'd say he's handling it pretty well.”

Williams will have a good opportunity to show the fruits of his labor in Sunday's game against the struggling Indianapolis Colts defense. He doesn't have to set the world on fire, but a game where he finds the end zone and consistently flashes his rare skill will show that the rollercoaster is back on the up after an early decline.

Much is expected of him. His expected start was delayed by poor pass defense, questionable plays and the crucial lessons of the early NFL season.

Williams and the Bears will stay the course and ultimately it will be his talent combined with the Bears' approach that will put him on the path that Manning, Stafford, Elway and Stroud found at their own pace.

“I thought he was great,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “He wasn't vocally frustrated or anything. He came and he's still learning. So I'm waiting to see how he recovers this week.”

That's all of us.

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