Caleb Williams went to extreme measures to win back Bears teammates who abandoned him

The Chicago Bears have been here before. Repeatedly. Whether it be Mitchell Trubisky or Justin Fields, Chicago has devoted far more time and attention in recent seasons to find their franchise quarterback. They have failed in every instance.

Chicago selected Caleb Williams No. 1 overall this past April. Williams was one of the more polished QB draft prospects in recent memory. The Bears were all-in, and even traded Fields to make an opening on their depth chart and avoid drama. Yet, here we are.

The Bears opened their entire playbook for Williams from the jump. That was a bold choice, as even Williams was bound to have a learning curve. Former Chicago offensive coordinator Shane Waldron didn't think so.

You'll notice 'former' in Waldron's title, as he was fired this past week. The Bears are reportedly finally taking things slow with Williams, since he has less than one season of professional football under his belt. Given the QB prospects who have failed in the past with Chicago, this feels like a Bears problem, rather than Williams.

Caleb Williams literally apologized for getting bad Bears OC Shane Waldron fired

It certainly doesn't help matters that several Bears veterans reportedly wanted Williams benched. Perhaps they needed a quick reminder of how much the entire Bears front office and coaching staff has riding on this.

Per Jay Glazer of FOX, Williams went the extra mile to win back his teammates this week, even standing up to apologize for his own struggles, and the firing of Waldron. As much as I admire Williams leadership in this situation, was that really necessary?

And why have certain Bears players not bought into Williams already, given where he was selected and the position he plays? Those same players should not get priority over Williams, a player literally taken to save the franchise.

Alas, I am lost for words. The Bears are a franchise run backwards, as the wrong players and executives seem to have all the say. Rather than building up Williams confidence, the Bears have done everything in their power to tear him down, even in his own locker room.

The Bears haven't scored a touchdown in 23 straight offensive drives. Some of that falls on Williams, who is a rookie, but it was Waldron's job to make the playbook easier for the USC product to understand. Instead, Chicago started him on an advanced course, and it backfired in spectacular fashion.