NFL analyst wants Bears to bench Caleb Williams to avoid Bryce Young-esque disaster - "I don't think he's developing good habits"
When Caleb Williams was drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears earlier this year, he was being hailed as the savior of the franchise, which has been famous for its struggles at the position. But two games in, he has looked like less of a world-beater and someone who has been constantly getting beaten.
CBS Sports' Mike Renner wants coach Matt Eberflus to take drastic measures and bench his rookie, just as the Carolina Panthers did to Bryce Young after a 3-26 loss vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. He made his case and comparisons to the 33rd Team on Wednesday:
"If you're doing 15 hits a game for 17 games, you're just mentally going to be kind of in a position where Bryce Young was, where you may not even know it, but you're subconsciously playing the position to try to avoid those hits without, doing what it takes to avoid those hits."
He continued:
"That's a bad start. Benching him is a tough pill to swallow. But I don't think he's developing good habits. It's like he's not getting better at the things we said he needed to get better on from USC to the NFL. He's probably getting worse at it."
Caleb Williams promises to avoid "stupid mistakes" vs. Colts
It can be said Caleb Williams was very lucky in his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans. He failed to crack 93 passing yards or score a touchdown in a lackluster offensive performance, but the Bears still won the game thanks to their defense and special teams, which accounted for all their points, including both their touchdowns.
Bears wasn't so lucky against the Houston Texans, however. Williams did crack 100 yards, but he was also intercepted twice, sacked seven times and failed to find the end zone yet again.
During Wednesday's practice ahead of the game against the Indianapolis Colts, he said:
"Obviously, I had the two stupid mistakes that won’t happen again. I think rhythm, pass game, getting the ball to receivers – I think I got better getting the ball out of my hands, it felt like, trying to stay in the right range of timing for the offensive lineman and myself and the routes."
He also promised to improve on communication and mid-game adjustments to secure the victory:
"There needs to be better between the coaches, the offensive line and myself, making sure that we’re on the same page and making adjustments when we need to."
The game will kick off at 1 PM ET/12 PM CT on CBS.