Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a tough rookie season. The first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was walking into a loaded offense, but only managed a 5-12 record. Much has been said about who Williams is as a person. His fashion sense and behavior were questioned during the pre-draft process, but he’s content to be himself.
He sat down for a recent interview with Esquire and sent a strong message to the NFL.
Caleb Williams Thinks the NFL Has Become Too Friendly
Chicago’s season ended with a win over the Green Bay Packers, but Williams’ numbers weren’t good. He finished with a -0.05 EPA/DB (31st), a 30.5 third-down conversion rate (36th), and 5.5 nYPA (37th). He was better in relative terms from a clean pocket, ranking 24th (0.18 EPA/DB) than when pressured (32nd, -0.48 EPA/DB), but a mid-season 10-game losing streak crushed Chicago’s season.
Williams finished No. 33 in PFSN’s QB+ metric, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Hiring Ben Johnson as head coach should improve Williams’ play on the field, but he will always be one of the more unique NFL players.
Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe wrote a recent article about Williams, and how his off-field interests differ from many other NFL players. O’Keefe noted how Williams had never lost as much in his football career as he did as a rookie in Chicago. O’Keefe quoted Williams: “I’ll be honest with you,” he tells me, “I’ve never lost this much. I lost ten games in one season. I think maybe eleven.” He pauses and recalculates, a hint of incredulity in his voice. “It’s actually more than eleven.”
O’Keefe mentioned how Williams has gotten far away from the Bears’ team facility this offseason, going all the way to Denmark. He noted how the quarterback’s off-field life has set him up for future personal and financial success.
“He’s among a vanguard of pro athletes who started plotting their careers and amassing their fortunes in college, as new standards for NCAA athletes took hold.” O’Keefe continued, “And Williams might be among the savviest of his generation. He’s launched his own investment firm and walked in a fashion show. He’s made headlines for his style and doesn’t give a s**t what his critics might say about that.”
Williams had multiple quotes about how he doesn’t care what people think of him or if other players see him as friendly. “The thing is, I don’t think about what other people have to say about me. I can’t please everybody, so it’s not something I’m trying to do.
“I do have people in mind that I want to make sure that they know I care and know I work my tail off. And that’s my teammates, my family, people that actually know me. And then from there I couldn’t care less, is how I go about it.”
O’Keefe noted that Williams has looked at Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady for his on-field inspiration, but isn’t looking to create a bond with his peers.
The article makes it clear how driven Williams is to be successful in the NFL. He understands the pressure of being a team leader and how massive winning in Chicago would be. Fans, media, and other players might not like him. Williams truly doesn’t care, and that’s a rare thing for a young professional athlete these days.