Windy City Gridiron
Eberflus Downplays Report, But the Truth Lies Between the Lines
On May 15th, Seth Wickersham, while promoting his book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” released several details from its pages, including a notable blurb about Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. The excerpt referenced Williams’ initial reluctance to be drafted by the Bears, reigniting public interest in the quarterback’s pre-draft mindset. By now, most fans are familiar with the reported comments made by both Caleb and his father, Carl, regarding the team’s situation.
Carl Williams went to great lengths to try to circumvent the NFL draft, wanting to give his son an opportunity to choose his future employer. The Bears had not drafted a star quarterback since the 1980s, and their recent draft selections, Mitchell Trubisky and Justin Fields, didn’t pan out. Carl Williams was worried that, with the franchise’s history, stadium uncertainty and offensive performances under then-head coach Matt Eberflus, Caleb Williams wouldn’t have the organizational support to succeed.
Among some of the details released included some insight into his turbulent rookie season. Which gave us a glimpse into the relationship Williams had with his coaching staff.
At times, Williams said he would watch film alone, with no instruction or guidance from the coaches. “No one tells me what to watch,” Caleb Williams told his dad. “I just turn it on.”
This seemingly corroborated a report from February this year made by Taylor Doll, host of the “Making Monsters” Podcast.
“Reportedly, before Waldron was fired, Caleb Williams had to seek outside resources to review film because Waldron was not doing it with him. Williams even went as far as creating his own film study room to make up for a lack of coaching from Waldron.”
The report suggests a troubling lack of support for Caleb Williams during a critical stage of his development. For a rookie quarterback, film study with coaching staff isn’t optional—it’s foundational. That fact that Williams reportedly had to seek outside resources and build his own film study room points to a possible disconnect in the Bears’ offensive structure under Shane Waldron.
Both traditional and social media lit up with reactions to the report, ranging from strong defenses of Williams to criticism that he shouldn’t need help watching film. On May 29th, following an OTA session, Caleb Williams addressed the story directly during media availability.
Personally, hearing this made a lot of sense. It’s one thing to watch film on your own, but it’s entirely different—and far more valuable—to watch it with a position coach or coordinator who can provide context, highlight details you’d miss, and guide your understanding. I can’t even count how many things I would’ve overlooked watching film alone back in high school—and the jump from high school to the NFL is like comparing poodles to atomic bombs. So you can only imagine how critical that kind of coaching is for a rookie quarterback navigating the speed and complexity of the pro game.
This seemingly put an end to...
