Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled mightily in his rookie season and a group of veterans have reportedly called for the first overall pick to be benched
Chicago Bears’ seasoned players are advocating for Tyson Bagent to replace No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams as the team grapples with its NFC North struggles.
On Sunday, Williams and the Bears offense faltered, resulting in a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots at Soldier Field. The defeat was demoralising, with Williams – the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – completing only 16 of 30 passes for a mere 120 yards, while fellow rookie Drake Maye scored a touchdown and threw for 184 yards for the Pats.
Williams’ stats are on a downward spiral week after week. He’s completing approximately 60 percent of his passes while averaging 6.1 yards per attempt behind a makeshift offensive line.
As a result of the struggling offense, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus decided to sack offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The offense will now be under the control of passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, but some players reportedly want Bagent back in action at the expense of Williams.
With the Bears on a three-game losing streak during which Williams hasn’t thrown a touchdown, a group of anonymous veterans approached Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles to change the offensive coordinator.
The group also wanted Williams benched in favour of backup Bagent, condemning him to the same fate as fellow No.1 pick Bryce Young, who was benched by the Carolina Panthers before being reinstated due to Andy Dalton’s injury.
Last season, when undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent stepped in for Justin Fields as the Bears’ quarterback, he managed a 2-2 record. He threw three touchdowns but was intercepted six times.
Rumours have circulated over which Chicago Bears players may have spoken to coach Eberflus, leading some supporters to point fingers at wide receiver DJ Moore. Despite a lacklustre season that saw him catch just 34 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in seven games with Bagent in 2023, there’s speculation he may have preferred Bagent over his current rookie quarterback.
As of the 2024 season, through 10 games with rookie Williams, Moore has only slightly improved his tally, securing 40 receptions for 398 yards and three touchdowns, far from the breakout many envisioned.
For rookie quarterback Williams, the year hasn’t lived up to his expectations. After being picked first overall by the Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft, things looked promising when Chicago later drafted punter Tory Taylor at No.122, and Williams welcomed him, texting: “Hey, you’re not going to punt too much here.”
Yet, the season’s narrative shows otherwise. With Williams amassing 2,021 offensive yards and Taylor punting for 2,153 yards over 10 weeks, the rookie’s prediction has fallen flat. With a record of 4-5, the Bears now gear up for a major NFC North bout, hosting the 6-3 Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Nov. 17.
