Former Super Bowl MVP advocates for benching Caleb Williams as Bears QB struggles to find his footing
The Chicago Bears thought they had struck the jackpot with Caleb Williams when they drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. So sure was Chicago of his talent that they moved on from Justin Fields and decided to embark on a journey where he is the undisputed starter.
Entering into Week 11 of the 2024 season, that bet does appear to be paying off. They have not scored a touchdown in two straight matches and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron lost his job. They need a change quickly and former Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner thinks the best step the Bears can take is to bench Caleb Williams.
Appearing on "The Dan Patrick Show", the retired quarterback said:
"I think we see so often in this league these young guys come in slated to be the starter. We throw them in, and they don't have the tools, they don't have the information or skill set that they need to succeed at the NFL level."
Highlighting that rookie quarterbacks don't have the tools to succeed, Kurt Warner added that this causes players like Caleb Williams to then play in survival mode:
"A lot of these guys are simply what I call "survive it." It's like, "Here, take the ball and run out there and try to do whatever you can to be successful," without us giving you the tools that you need to be able to do it."
Kurt Warner thinks benching Caleb Williams could be a win-win situation for Bears
Warner also acknowledged that benching a young starter might harm his confidence but that will give Caleb Williams a chance to get ready. The Super Bowl winner said:
"I know it's always hard to go with the young guy and then pull back from a young guy. It's why I'm always a proponent of starting the old guy, and then you can work to the young guy when they're ready."
He said that the Bears will be protecting their quarterback and ensuring the future of their organization by withdrawing him now and letting him learn and come in when all the other pieces are in place around him. The Hall-of-Famer concluded:
"But yeah, I think it could be beneficial to let Caleb step back and let him kind of see how it's done, get acclimated with what the speed is, what the complexity is, and what we're asking him to do within these pro offenses. Then, when he's reinserted, he's in a position to fully succeed, which is both beneficial for him and obviously beneficial for the organization as well."
Justin Fields was moved on during the offseason to make way for Caleb Williams. Now, the latter might need to make way, albeit temporarily, if the Bears listen to Kurt Warner's advice.