NFL Executives Are Still Doubting Caleb Williams in Private Conversations

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Despite everything he’s done this season, a chunk of the NFL world still can’t bring themselves to believe in Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

Shocking, I know.

In a league that keeps moving further away from old-school thinking, you’d expect the people running teams to evolve with it. Yet here we are—executives still clinging to their priors, still nitpicking the things they wish were wrong about a quarterback who continues to make them look foolish.

Before the Bears made Williams the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, every reaction to him was a desperate attempt to discredit what made him special. I’ve already spent plenty of oxygen on the crowd terrified of an NFL quarterback painting his fingernails or crying after a tough college loss. Those criticisms were always empty. But with Caleb, it’s more layered than that.

The media dragged his name through the mud, lazily pushing narratives about him being a “diva” or “locker-room problem,” despite a spotless record and teammates who raved about him. Williams is composed, confident, and humble every time he steps to the podium—yet somehow, he’s still portrayed as a cocky prima donna.

And of course, when most people looked at his tape from Oklahoma and USC and saw a blue-chip, no-brainer quarterback prospect, there were detractors who felt obligated to zag just to prove they were different. You know the type. The guy who needs to be the smartest voice in the room. The professional contrarian who insisted Caleb Williams would be a bust in Chicago.

The same guy who now—while the Bears sit at 7–3 and atop the NFC North—rushes to remind anyone who will listen that neither Chicago nor Williams is “actually that good.”

And somehow, those people with meatball-level football IQs sound exactly like real NFL executives. The sports world is nothing if not stubborn.

Dianna Russini shares Caleb Williams texts

During a recent appearance on the Hoge & Jahns podcast, NFL insider Dianna Russini shared a glimpse into how front offices are viewing Caleb Williams. As one in her line of work does, Russini regularly checks in with coaches, GMs, and players to get a feel for the biggest storylines around the league. What are people talking about? What’s the temperature on the teams and players driving headlines?

One question she keeps asking this year: “Is Caleb Williams good?”

Of course. Because that’s the only thing anyone wants to talk about. It’s the daily topic on the ESPN lower third. It’s the lead-in for every debate show. And it’s absurd, because the answer is already obvious.

When the Brock Purdy debate hit a few years back, at least there was some logic behind it. Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant—no one believed in him until he forced the issue. And NFL executives and fans alike couldn’t’ help but wonder what—or if—they missed.

Caleb Williams is not Brock Purdy. Caleb Williams was drafted No. 1 because the entire football world believed he’d be good. So why are we shocked when he… plays well?

Yet here we are. Russini even read a text from an anonymous NFL GM who still can’t bring himself to fully buy in.

“Man, the Bears are just finding ways to win. I still don’t totally 100 percent believe in Caleb but man he’s so fun to watch,” read the text. “He breaks out of so many sacks. I just don’t think he’s consistently playing on time within the scheme… I gotta wonder, though. What does Ben [Johnson] really feel about it? He’s gotta be really patient for now.”

So that’s the new angle. First, Caleb was ripped for playing hero-ball—until he became the hero the Bears needed in crunch time. Then he was criticized for holding the ball too long—until he became the best quarterback in the league at avoiding pressure and escaping sacks, accounting for hundreds of hidden yards in some games.

Now the complaint is that he’s not playing “on time within the scheme.”

Never mind that the best quarterbacks are the ones who thrive when structure breaks down. Never mind that Ben Johnson has repeatedly said Caleb’s special traits help him as a play-caller.

But some are so desperate to protect their pre-draft takes that they’re now inventing friction between the Bears’ head coach and franchise quarterback.

The Caleb Williams doubters will never go away

If you want proof this never stops, look at Jalen Hurts. He’s led his team to a Super Bowl. He’s hoisted a Lombardi. He’s been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football. And still, there are loud voices insisting he’s not actually good at playing the position.

Caleb Williams isn’t flawless. Neither is Hurts. Neither is any QB.

But Williams has delivered exactly what scouts projected from his college tape. If you’ve watched the Bears this season, you know what’s obvious: Chicago has its franchise quarterback.

His ultimate ceiling? We’ll find out. But the floor is already high enough that the Bears are sitting on top of the division with their best, most distinct offensive identity in years.

If NFL GMs don’t see it? Fine. They’re not the ones developing him. They’re not the ones building an offense around him. They’re not the ones benefitting from his growth.

They can keep sending anonymous text messages. Meanwhile, the Bears will keep winning—and Caleb Williams will keep proving those people wrong, one Sunday at a time.

NFL Executives Are Still Doubting Caleb Williams in Private Conversations

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