Caleb Williams epic preseason clip either belongs in Canton or will age horribly

Rookies say the darnedest things.

Bravado and confidence are common characteristics for young NFL quarterbacks, particularly those who have dominated their competition through the collegiate level. As first-round picks, rookies often expect the success to continue at the professional level. The NFL, however, is an entirely different beast.

Some teams try to keep their rookies away from press conferences and microphones until the players are media trained and well versed in answering questions. But in the modern age of social media, it’s not always easy to keep rookies out of the limelight. 

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has more reasons to be confident than any other rookie quarterback in recent NFL history. The former USC quarterback was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after being touted as a generational talent for the past two years. 

Preseason clip could age poorly for Caleb Williams

HBO’s “Hard Knocks” captured a moment between Williams and Bears quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph before Chicago’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. 

Joseph asked Williams about how nervous he was about making his NFL debut. On a scale of one to 10, Williams said his nervous level was at a zero.

“I don’t get nervous,” Williams said. “Not since my first game of high school versus Gilman. I fumbled two snaps, and I came back and threw an out-and-up down the sideline. Other than that, play ball.”

It’s a confident statement, especially when considering that the league’s best quarterbacks have all confessed to feeling nervous. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen even admitted he vomits before every game. 

Plenty of rookie quarterbacks have made bold statements in the infancy of their careers. For some, those comments have only added to their legend. Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, famously told New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that drafting him was the best decision the organization had ever made.

Brady’s words seem prescient in retrospect, but that’s not always the case. After former Bears quarterback Justin Fields made his highly-anticipated debut in a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins in 2021, the rookie quarterback was asked about the speed of the NFL game. 

“It was actually kind of slow to me, to be honest,” Fields said. 

Fields’ comments have aged like milk. During his three years with the Bears, it was evident that Fields lacked the ability to process the defense and read his progressions in time. Even in his third season, the game appeared to be too fast for Fields. This offseason, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick.

There are high expectations for Williams in his rookie season, and he only generated more buzz with his dazzling preseason performance. 

The regular season is far different from the preseason, however, and the postseason raises the difficulty even more. 

Only time will reveal if Williams’ lack of nervous energy is revisited with praise or mockery.