The Chicago Bears have never had an elite quarterback.
That may have something to do with the inclement weather and their tradition as a run-heavy team.
Whatever the case, the fans and the organization banked their hopes on Caleb Williams as their first-ever superstar at the position.
Unfortunately, the early returns aren’t that impressive.
He has struggled mightily in training camp, and a former NFL scout had a worrisome assessment of his game.
Daniel Kelly, who used to scout for the New York Jets and now goes by ‘FIRST ROUND MOCK’ on X, pointed out that Williams held onto the ball on a play for a whopping 5.38 seconds.
To put it in context, the average time to throw in the NFL last season was 2.42-3.14 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.
The average time to throw in the NFL last season was 2.42-3.14 seconds (Next Gen Stats).
As a former NFL Scout, I put a stopwatch to how long Caleb Williams holds the ball on this play. I got 5.38 seconds. pic.twitter.com/ympAIYjoNy
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) August 3, 2025
Williams used to get away with a lot of wild stuff in college.
He threw the ball across his body while on the run and off-balance, and while that might be good against Big Ten defenders, that’s not going to get the job done against the pros.
Of course, it’s way too early to count him out, and his talent and physical traits are more than evident.
Also, he will have an improved supporting cast and a young, offensive-minded head coach to develop him.
But judging by what he’s shown so far in training camp, there are more than enough legitimate reasons to have serious concerns about Williams and his outlook as this franchise’s savior at the quarterback position.
