NEWSLETTER
I had a wonderful weekend away with friends. But while I was gone, there was a tweet that folks were sending my way and it gave me a laugh. You probably saw it, too. Reading it got me thinking about Caleb Williams and his future with the Chicago Bears. But before I get to why my mind went there, here is the tweet from NFL on FOX analyst (and former standout offensive lineman) Mark Schlereth:
When the tweet came across my timeline, my brain immediately began thinking about the incredibly low bar that Caleb Williams would have to clear in order to break every Bears passing record. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like to place limitations on young players. But breaking *EVERY* Chicago Bears record is probably something I’d bet the under on. However, those passing records are very doable.
Caleb Williams has a low bar to clear to break Chicago Bears passing records
The names mentioned below will likely trigger you and nudge your brain into taking a trip down memory lane.
SINGLE-SEASON PASSING RECORDS
That the most prominent single-season passing records are still held by Erik Kramer is bonkers to think about. With all due respect to Kramer, it is embarassing that the pass-happy NFL hasn’t lent itself to the Bears lucking into a quarterback who throws circles around those numbers. But perhaps Caleb Williams is the guy who can get it done.
To give those numbers some additional perspective, this is what Caleb Williams needs to do on a per-game basis (over the course of a full 17-game schedule) to re-write the record books:
If this isn’t doable, then it’ll turn out that Caleb Williams wasn’t the guy. That would bum me out so hard.
CALEB WILLIAMS ON THE BEARS FUTURE: “We’re Gonna Be Pretty Damn Good”
Hindsight being what it is, Jay Cutler probably should’ve had those passing yards and touchdown records at some point during his Bears tenure. Then again, a few injury-shortened years kept him from eclipsing those marks. If Caleb can stay healthy, I imagine all of those records could be his. Yes, even the 107.5 passer rating that Sid Luckman posted in 1943. If Williams can beat that mark in a full season’s worth of games, I’d bet on it being an MVP-caliber season.
CAREER PASSING RECORDS
Cutler played 102 games as a member of the Chicago Bears over eight seasons. So if Caleb Williams were to play the same amount of games in the same span of years, this is what he’d have to do (per year) to beat those marks:
Hey, that is doable — right?
I can’t get over how tragically low the bar is for quarterback competency when it comes to this franchise. It makes me sad thinking about it. But I can’t end this post here, so let’s take a glance at the first set of projections for Caleb Williams’ rookie season (via ESPN):
How would you feel if Caleb Williams comes out as a rookie and posts an 89.1 passer rating, 4.5 TD%, and 2.5 INT%? I’d feel pretty good about it as a baseline for the future. Consider what these numbers would signify, sans any context relative to the 2024 season:
Again … these are reachable numbers for Caleb Williams. And while I am doing my best to temper my expectations, I will not stop from dreaming big dreams. The record books are there to be re-written. Later this month, training camp will begin. And in September, a new QB1 will get a chance to write his own story. I can’t wait to see what how the first chapter sets the table.
