Caleb Williams led the Chicago Bears to a much-needed victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, while going a long way in proving doubters wrong
Caleb Williams made a statement in the win over the Commanders but still has work to do to prove himself right and doubters wrong(Image: Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears pulled off a surprise win over the Washington Commanders with Caleb Williams getting one over on fellow second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels – going a long way to squash the narrative that the latter was more deserving of being the first overall pick.
The Bears made a big move in drafting Williams and letting Justin Fields leave, while making the number one pick the immediate starter. The former USC quarterback was seen as an elite prospect when he entered the league, as he had been full of confidence that he would turn Chicago’s fortunes around.
Chicago had just four draft picks in the 2024 class after moving up to select Williams; one of the other players drafted was Australian punter Tory Taylor. When the Bears drafted Taylor, Williams sent him a very confident message.
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The Australian punter revealed: “Caleb just texted me before saying, ‘Hey you’re not going to punt too much here.'”
What followed would be an up-and-down rookie season, with Taylor punting the second-most in the entire NFL.
And since Williams and Taylor were drafted into the NFL together, no punter has had more action than the latter, with the former being at quarterback.
Taylor has punted 101 times, with only Cleveland Browns punter Cory Bojorquez being on the field more, while the Browns have used five quarterbacks over the last two years.
Only one other punter has been on the field more than Tory Taylor since 2024(Image: Getty Images)
While Williams has a solid 28-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, his play has been criticized since entering the league, struggling to play in rhythm with the offense and looking to make plays off-platform.
It has brought Williams success so far, but it’s not seen as a sustainable model of playing the quarterback position, with new head coach Ben Johnson looking to get Williams to play his way.
But after a disappointing first two weeks of the season, Williams has bounced back with the Bears while leading them to three straight wins.
In their victory over the Commanders, as he returned to his hometown of Washington D.C., Williams rubbed fans the wrong way with his words on new kicker Jake Moody.
Moody joined the Bears after being released by the San Francisco 49ers, making the game-winning kick over Daniels and the Commanders.
Caleb Williams’ message to Tory Taylor is something he may now regret(Image: Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
After the game, when asked about him, Williams stated he didn’t know who he was, despite being a third-round pick and one of the best kickers in college football during his time with Michigan.
Williams said: “I really didn’t know who he was when he first joined the team. And then I saw him kick a 65-yarder in practice.
“For what he was able to do coming here, I know he’s had some tough times recently, but being able to come in here, rainy, windy, all of this, and come through for us, I’m proud of him, happy for him and happy for us as a team.”
Despite his words angering some fans, Williams’ improvements will delight Bears fans, who will hope to see more of kicker Moody and less of their punter Taylor moving forward.