During the final two years of his collegiate career, USC quarterback Caleb Williams captivated football fans with his ability to produce miracles from anywhere on the field, at any time. On broken plays, he contorted his body and used an array of arm angles — sidearm flicks, underhand shovels, and overhead spirals — to effortlessly deliver the ball to his receivers.
From a penthouse perched high above Los Angeles, Williams had a panoramic view of the sprawling city, set against the backdrop of Southern California’s rolling hills. At the time, everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly. Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, and he was touted as a generational prospect after his final season with the Trojans.
Now, all of the praise and accolades are nothing more than a distant memory. Williams went from a penthouse to a proverbial outhouse when the Chicago Bears selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In just 13 games, the dysfunctional organization managed to crush the rookie quarterback’s spirit.
Caleb Williams is mentally preparing for all the losing seasons ahead
After a walkthrough practice on Thursday, Williams told reporters he’s seeking mentorship from players who have extensive experience with losing.
"It's tough,” Williams said, per Bears Marquee. “It's interesting is the way I put it. I've never had a streak like this of losing in my playing [career], so I ask questions. I do understand that this is one of my first times kind of being a part of something like this, of losing and this [losing] streak going. So I ask questions to the guys that may have lost a bunch of games in a row like this, or had losing seasons.”
Chicago’s blowout loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday extended their losing streak to seven consecutive games and clinched a losing record for the 2024 season. It’s new territory for Williams, who never experienced a losing season or a losing streak longer than three games in high school and college.
“I'm asking questions, because the more knowledge that I have prepares me for the future,” Williams said. “If this ever comes close to something like this again. Going to work hard and make sure it doesn’t, but if it ever happens again, [I’m] figuring out ways to keep going, keep pushing.”
“I’ve never had a streak like this of losing.”
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) December 12, 2024
Caleb Williams on the Bears’ 7-game losing streak. pic.twitter.com/RL0rXmGtdb
Few franchises can demoralize a quarterback to this extent so quickly. At this stage, Williams sounds like he has come to terms with the Bears being perennial losers. Rather than attempting to prevent the inevitable, he’s mentally preparing for the losses that lie ahead.
In 2018, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wanted to help his players understand what it was like to be on a losing team. The Patriots signed cornerback Jason McCourty and defensive tackle Danny Shelton, who had both experienced a 0-16 record with the Cleveland Browns in the previous season.
In that case, the goal was to avoid complacency while winning. McCourty and Shelton provided valuable lessons and helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII that season. In contrast, Williams seems to be searching for ways to cope with being on a team that’s destined to lose. That should show just how far off the Bears are from competing for a championship.