Caleb Williams didn’t just suffer another defeat on Thursday night, falling 6-3 to the Seattle Seahawks in a sloppy defensive affair. The Chicago Bears’ No. 1 overall draft pick also absorbed seven sacks, extending his franchise record to 67 on the year. Williams isn’t sweating the implications of his painful rookie season, however, telling reporters afterward he believes such turmoil will benefit him down the road.
“Frustrating, annoyed, but learning, I would say,” Williams said of his mindset after the Bears fell to 4-12 on the season, via NFL.com. “I definitely think that this is going to be good for me. Excited about this last game and then excited about the future.”
Williams certainly isn’t the first highly drafted quarterback to endure rookie-year lumps, with the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow among recent No. 1 picks to experience extended losing streaks and/or coaching turnover during their first NFL seasons. Both Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron, Williams’ original head coach and offensive coordinator, were fired earlier this season.
The 23-year-old Williams has thrown for 3,393 yards and 19 touchdowns with six interceptions and an 87.4 passer rating through 16 games. He’s also gained 479 rushing yards, though his 67 sacks are the most by a Bears quarterback since 2004, when Chicago used four different signal-callers.
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