Caleb Williams

Although the Chicago Bears are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, a quarterback change isn't on the table.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams will remain at the top of the depth chart.

"Caleb is our starter," Eberflus said on Monday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

He also revealed there "will be changes" made to help turn the season around as he's "in the process of" evaluating the rest of the team, via Rapoport.

Williams finished 16-of-30 for 120 yards during Chicago's 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. He was also sacked a season-high nine times.

99 + 41 = the 5th Pats sack today ‼️

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ppqt8toDbk

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024

Following the defeat, Eberflus said he'll evaluate "everything from the top to the bottom" which included a potential change regarding Chicago's offensive play-caller (via ESPN's Courtney Cronin).

Williams wasn't satisfied with his performance against New England, but he is determined to learning from his mistakes.

"Definitely this game is a lot to learn from for myself, just speaking on some of the situational things," he told reporters on Sunday. "Obviously, there's a few passes every game that you wish you could have back and things like that. But I think situationally, this game was a great learning experience for me with some of these situations that I could have done better for sure."

On the season as a whole, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft has thrown for 1,785 yards and nine touchdowns compared to five interceptions. While he has dealt with inaccuracy issues and been sacked a league-leading 38 times, he's also showcased his potential on several occasions.

Prior to the Bears' current losing streak, they won three straight games from Week 4 through Week 6. Over that span, Williams completed 74.1 percent of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns while getting picked off only once.

Caleb just doing it all out there.

📺: #JAXvsCHI on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/nFqEhodc8r

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Eberflus could make changes ahead of an upcoming NFC North showdown with the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, but Williams' starting job isn't in jeopardy.

The Chicago Bears' offense isn't exactly drawing rave reviews.

Amid struggles by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus may need to make changes to his staff in order to maintain his own job security.

"Their offense is so bad," an opposing NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "Eberflus is already on the edge because of his answer on the Hail Mary [touchdown allowed against Washington]. He is going to have to act on Waldron to take some of the heat off, or they could all be swept out."

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's unit recorded just 11 total first downs and averaged a mere 2.4 yards per play during a 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Williams finished 16-of-30 for 120 yards and was sacked a season-high nine times.

99 + 41 = the 5th Pats sack today ‼️

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ppqt8toDbk

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024

In the first nine starts of his career, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,785 yards while throwing nine touchdowns compared to five interceptions.

Bears tight end Cole Kmet acknowledged that the offense had "taken a pretty big step back" following their Week 7 bye.

"We definitely, offensively speaking, have taken a pretty big step back."

Cole Kmet on the Bears since the bye. pic.twitter.com/F1wYY3aklQ

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 10, 2024

Eberflus told reporters after Sunday's loss that he'll evaluate "everything from the top to the bottom" which includes a potential change regarding Chicago's offensive play-caller, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

The third-year head coach previously came under fire for his comments regarding a short gain prior to the Bears' narrow Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders that ended with a Hail Mary.

A;FK;JD;KJF;LAKEJFLKJVAL;KEJL;JF;EFJ;LFAKJ

JAYDEN DANIELS HAIL MARY! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

"You're defending touchdown there," Eberflus said in regards to the play before the end zone shot, via Cronin. "And them throwing the ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever that is, doesn't really matter. It's always going to come down to that last play."

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn didn't agree, explaining how crucial the 13-yard gain to set up the Hail Mary was.

"That's the one you need," Quinn told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "If we don't get that play to him, then we're out of gas."

The defeat against Washington kicked off a three-game losing streak for the Bears, as Eberflus' team now sits at 4-5.

The Chicago Bears were a Washington Commanders' Hail Mary away from being 5-2 with plenty of reason for optimism.

Now, they are 4-5 with seemingly no reason for optimism.

Drake Maye earned bragging rights over his fellow rookie, Caleb Williams, as the New England Patriots defeated the Bears 19-3 in Sunday's showdown at Soldier Field. Chicago has now lost three in a row, while the Patriots improved to 3-7 with their second win in the last three games.

99 + 41 = the 5th Pats sack today ‼️

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ppqt8toDbk

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024

Maye wasn't spectacular and went 15-of-25 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but that was enough with the Bears offense stumbling its way along on the other side. Williams went 16-of-30 for 120 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions while being sacked nine times, and the offense struggled for the majority of the contest.

Williams, head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the banged-up offensive line and more drew the ire from Bears fans on social media:

the Bears since the bye have the worst offense in the NFL and its not close

— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) November 10, 2024

Caleb is holding the ball for waaaaaay too long right now. Gotta trust someone and rip it. This will never work behind multiple backup tackles.

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 10, 2024

Caleb Williams looks broken right now. Like he's frozen in the pocket. Just stands there stuck waiting for the pass rush to get to gim.

Can somebody unplug him and plug him back in? Hopefully that resets him.

— Johnathan Wood (@Johnathan_Wood1) November 10, 2024

this isn’t the worst Bears offense I’ve ever seen but it may be the most frustrating. they make positive plays, start moving the ball, then immediately shoot themselves in the foot and ruin their momentum. so infuriating

— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) November 10, 2024

Another terrible sack from Caleb Williams that takes them out of FG range. Have to find a way to get out of the pocket & get rid of it. #Bears

— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) November 10, 2024

I'll say it again: It's the little things, and the Bears are bad at all of them.

— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) November 10, 2024

Bears first offensive series:

- Good run by D-Swift
- Caleb holds the ball for too long, takes a sack
- Rome drops a pass on 3rd down that would’ve been short of the sticks even if he caught it

We’re soooooo back!

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 10, 2024

The boos were really, really loud after that failed offensive series.

— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) November 10, 2024

I've seen a lot of garbage Bears offenses over the years, and this is definitely one of them

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) November 10, 2024

https://twitter.com/JamesNeveau/status/1855681907809276150

Mood at Soldier Field: pic.twitter.com/BhGAsElzC2

— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) November 10, 2024

That WAS hail Mary completely broke this team. My guess is that players completely gave up on Flus and coaches when they publicly blamed the players and refused to take any accountability for themselves.

— Johnathan Wood (@Johnathan_Wood1) November 10, 2024

The Bears offense is flat out embarrassing right now. And the craziest part is that they have 4 new OL in there, and that isn't even the biggest issue.

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) November 10, 2024

Bears get booed off the field at halftime as the Patriots take a 13-3 lead off a 37-yard field goal.

I've had my eyes on Chicago's sideline throughout the first half through my binoculars. Body language from the offense has looked really defeated. No energy. Just completely…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) November 10, 2024

https://twitter.com/JamesNeveau/status/1855693853506093349

87 total offensive yards & 3 points at the half for the #Bears against one of the league’s worst defenses.

The bumslaying head coach is being out-coached by a 2-win team. His team has given up for a 2nd straight week. It’s over for Eberflus. Fire his ass into the sun.

— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) November 10, 2024

I've sat through A LOT of atrocious Bears football. So I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment. But that felt like a bottom-5 first half performance. The lack of juice is astounding. The coaching is sloppy. The execution is wayyy off.

— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) November 10, 2024

Most of the time it's not a coaching issue when fans want coaches fired. Sometimes it is, though, and this is one of those times.

— Ken Mitchell (@WCGBearsDenDude) November 10, 2024

The biggest storyline coming into Sunday's game was the rookie showdown at quarterback, as Williams was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft while Maye was the No. 3 selection. Williams faced quite the challenge, though, as four offensive linemen were ruled out prior to the game before Teven Jenkins exited during the contest.

As expected, Chicago's offense was abysmal.

It went scoreless in the first quarter for the seventh time in nine games as loud boos rained down from the crowd. Williams didn't have much time and also held onto the ball for too long, and the overall incompetence from the offense put all the pressure on the defense.

That defense stood strong for a while and even intercepted Maye, but the Patriots took the 13-3 halftime lead after the rookie signal-caller found Ja'Lynn Polk for a touchdown.

Drake Maye to Ja’Lynn Polk for the rookie to rookie TD connection #NEPats

📺: #NEvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/rallRsqNss

— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024

It was more of the same after halftime, as the Bears couldn't block, couldn't consistently run and couldn't generate any momentum in the aerial attack. The showing made it easy to speculate about the immediate futures of Eberflus and Waldron, especially after so many players publicly called out the coaching in recent weeks.

Chicago's defense did what it could to keep the game close, but the offense continued to get in its own way. The Bears had six offensive possessions in the second half and finished with four punts and two turnover on downs.

It won't get easier either, as next up for the Bears is a game against the rival Green Bay Packers.

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Chicago's Caleb Williams, will face the No. 3 overall selection, New England's Drake Maye, on Sunday in a clash of highly-touted rookie quarterbacks.

And it's a matchup that Maye has been eagerly anticipating.

"Really, with Caleb, I've seen him since high school," he told reporters. "We'd go to the same camps. We were at the Elite 11 (camp) with each other. We got some college visits together. So, the whole thing, going through the process again. We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing. Now I get a chance to compete. So, anytime you're going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it's a little extra. I'm looking forward to going out there and getting a chance to play the Bears."

Both players have shown promise as rookies. Williams has thrown for 1,665 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts, completing 61.4 percent of his passes while leading the Bears to a 4-4 record. He's also rushed for 221 yards.

Maye has thrown for 770 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in four starts and five total appearances, completing 65.6 percent of his passes while leading the Pats to a 1-3 record in his starts. He's also rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown.

At the buzzer 🚨@DrakeMaye2 | @dreeday32 pic.twitter.com/wjb5dGQ3O3

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 5, 2024

The stats don't jump off the page—and neither has had the team success of No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels—but both have shown the ability to make tough throws and extend plays with their legs while keeping their eyes downfield. Both have gone through some growing pains as well, as is expected for rookie quarterbacks, but the Bears and Patriots have to be pleased with their first-round decisions to this point.

The Chicago Bears have lost two straight games amid significant offensive struggles, but the franchise that has never fired a head coach in-season and is historically known for being more reactive than proactive is not making any significant play-calling changes heading into Week 10 against the New England Patriots.

Head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Monday that Chicago is not taking play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

"We're looking to find answers, and that's where we're at collectively as a group, offense and defense," Eberflus said. "We'll go through that process here today, tomorrow and implement that plan on Wednesday."

It has been quite the two weeks for the Bears since their Week 7 bye.

Everything seemed to be trending in the right direction after they improved to 4-2 with a blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams looked like a star in the making with four touchdown passes, and the team went into the bye with plenty of momentum.

Then, everything changed.

Jayden Daniels stunned Chicago with a game-winning Hail Mary in the final play of the Washington Commanders' 18-15 win on Oct. 27 to cap off a sequence of coaching that can only be described as brutal.

The Bears gave Washington a free 13 yards on the penultimate play by not defending anything except the end zone, which put Daniels in position to throw the Hail Mary. They also didn't call a timeout to go over their strategy in a chaotic sequence and chose to both not blitz the rookie and, for some unknown reason, keep a quarterback spy near the line of scrimmage for the Hail Mary.

The result was cornerback Tyrique Stevenson batting the ball into the air, and it fell into the waiting hands of Noah Brown. Stevenson did so after taunting the Washington fans as the play was going on, which led to his benching for the ensuing game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The videos yesterday didn't really convey to me just how long Tyrique Stevenson's taunting went on. He didn't make a game-like move until the receivers were inside the 20! pic.twitter.com/5pnj9v0W2H

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 28, 2024

Rather than rallying after a shocking loss, the Bears then went out and lost 29-9 to the Cardinals.

While the Hail Mary made the headlines, Chicago could have won the Washington game well before that with better offense and play-calling. Williams went just 10-of-24 for 131 yards, and the Bears turned the ball over at the goal line in the fourth quarter when Waldron decided it was a good idea to hand the ball off to a backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer instead of a running back.

Waldron then doubled down on the play and told reporters he would perhaps call it again if the situation presented itself.

There weren't a lot of goal-line situations for the Bears against the Cardinals, as the team failed to score a touchdown, managed a grand total of 241 yards of offense and went 3-of-14 on third down.

Williams was sacked six times, while running back D'Andre Swift averaged just 3.2 yards per carry.

Some of the Bears players already met with Waldron to express their frustration in September, and it has now reached the point where multiple players have publicly called out Eberflus and the coaching staff. That was especially the case after the Hail Mary loss to the Commanders.

Yet Chicago is going to stay the course when it comes to play-calling for the game against the Patriots.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen lamented the team's inability to execute on offense following a lopsided 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

"Lack of execution, I guess," Allen said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. "Not converting, not being able to get points on the board. Just one of them days."

The 32-year-old was targeted a team-high 10 times against the Cardinals, but he hauled in four receptions for 36 yards.

Caleb Williams 🎯 Keenan Allen on 4th down.

📺: #CHIvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/EqmC75R8xm

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

The Bears were only able to amass 241 total yards on Sunday, averaging a mere 3.4 yards per play. They converted just three of 14 third-down opportunities and couldn't find the end zone throughout the duration of the contest.

Caleb Williams dealt with inaccuracy as he was repeatedly pressured in the pocket, getting sacked six times. Williams finished 22-of-41 for 217 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

biggggg third down action from @ljcollier91 and @atxlete!! pic.twitter.com/PKDqNyezpj

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 3, 2024

For the Cardinals, Kyler Murray also couldn't find any rhythm in the pass game. He completed 13 throws for 154 yards, but Arizona was still able to win by rushing for 213 yards as a team.

While Allen wasn't satisfied with Chicago's execution, head coach Matt Eberflus also took responsibility for the subpar offensive performance.

"[I take] full responsibility for that," Eberflus said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "We'll work with the offensive staff tomorrow morning as we watch this tape tonight and find answers. Find answers for running the ball, first. Making sure you do that and setting everything off of that. Then making sure we have good actions off of that to start. On first and second down."

After averaging 31.7 points per game during a three-game win streak from Week 4 through Week 6, the Bears have been held to just 24 total points in their past two contests.

Allen is still looking to get on the same page as Williams, with the six-time Pro Bowl wideout averaging a career-low 32.8 yards per game in six appearances this season.

4th TD for Caleb
2nd TD for Keenan

The @ChicagoBears are rolling in London.

📺: #JAXvsCHI on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/WeNKcGonoq

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Chicago will attempt to get back on track during an upcoming Week 10 matchup with the New England Patriots.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams appears to have avoided a major injury late in Sunday's loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

Both Williams and head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed after the game that the injury wasn't serious.

Coach Matt Eberflus said, “He limped off there a little bit. He came in, he looks to be fine.” https://t.co/7h9mg3YAS0

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2024

Any injury to Williams is going will be a concern for the Bears considering they made him the face of the franchise and quarterback of the present and future when they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

They also traded Justin Fields during the same offseason, underscoring their belief in Williams' ability to lead them into the postseason.

Williams won the Heisman Trophy at USC during the 2022 campaign and remained atop draft boards while throwing for 30 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2023. He has appeared in eight games as a rookie, throwing for nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Bears likely need Williams back and healthy if they are going to make a run for the playoffs. Despite Sunday's disappointing loss, the team's second in a row, the Bears remain 4-4 and firmly in the NFC playoff picture.

Following the Arizona Cardinals' 29-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, fans criticized Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for failing to find the end zone against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

tiger on the prowl 🐅@ClemsonFB x @atxlete pic.twitter.com/13pgKZIzc5

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 3, 2024

In a game where the Cardinals rushed the football extremely effectively, Arizona improved to 5-4 on the season, extending their winning streak to three games, while Chicago dropped to 4-4.

Both quarterbacks failed to connect in the end zone, with all of Chicago's points coming from its kicker, Cairo Santos, who accounted for the team's three field goals. Meanwhile, all of Arizona's points came from rushing plays.

Williams completed 22-41 passes for 216 yards with zero touchdowns while Murray completed 13-of-20 passes for 154 yards with zero touchdowns and one fumble.

53-(CASUAL) YARD TOUCHDOWN@Money_E3 pic.twitter.com/Gzm3ImjxPI

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 3, 2024

Emari Demercado, Trey Benson, and Trey McBride scored for the Cardinals on the way to the team's 29 points.

In a lackluster showing for both quarterbacks, Chicago fans really dug their heels into the lack of offensive play-making that came from Williams.

If I see Caleb Williams run backwards and try to spin out of a sack one more time..this is not college. NFL defenses are faster than you

— Ashley Reynolds (@Ashley_Reynolds) November 3, 2024

Imagine having

Caleb Williams
Deandre Swift
DJ Moore
Keenan Allen
Rome Odunze
Cole Kmet

And scoring no touchdowns against the 24th ranked defense in the league pic.twitter.com/S8KHn9r8L2

— JHAND80 (@Jonathan_A_Hand) November 3, 2024

Caleb Williams and DJ Moore have the worst QB/WR chemistry I’ve ever seen.

— Joshua | The Recess Bell (@therecessbell) November 3, 2024

Caleb Williams is on pace to be sacked 62 times this season.

Would be the tied for 6th most in NFL history.
pic.twitter.com/KZBsdFLxAR

— BOOG (@BoogCB) November 4, 2024

Justin Fields watching Caleb Williams and the Bears struggle with more offensive weaponspic.twitter.com/OLwEcazx9Y

— Justin Fields Fan Club (@JustinFieldsFC) November 3, 2024

Caleb Williams hasn't thrown a TD in 3 weeks. pic.twitter.com/eW8sqnGsfT

— Jojo (@HofJojo) November 4, 2024

Caleb williams when he’s not playing a team with 2 wins on the season pic.twitter.com/nVNI8bbBUG

— OgnBurgh (@scottiloss) November 3, 2024

The first 3 overall picks today ⬇️

#1 Caleb Williams:
22/41, 216 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 68.8 RTG

#2 Jayden Daniels:
15/22, 209 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 128.8 RTG

#3 Drake Maye:
29/41, 206 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 69.8 RTG pic.twitter.com/lvwBh9TksF

— 🚀 DC Rising 🚀 (@DC__Rising) November 4, 2024

Might be time for the Bears to look at benching Caleb Williams.

— Mark Tinsley Jr. (@marktinsleyjr) November 4, 2024

Geno just went full Levis

— Pat Thorman (@Pat_Thorman) November 4, 2024

The Bears are now on a two-game losing streak after winning three straight at home and will face the 2-7 New England Patriots at Soldier Field next Sunday.

The Washington Commanders secured an improbable 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday thanks to Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary on the final play of the game.

With two seconds left in the fourth quarter and the ball at the Commanders' 48-yard line, Daniels danced around in the pocket before launching a deep pass toward the end zone. The ball was tipped up in the air before it was caught by Noah Brown for the game-ending score.

A;FK;JD;KJF;LAKEJFLKJVAL;KEJL;JF;EFJ;LFAKJ

JAYDEN DANIELS HAIL MARY! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

In a battle between the No. 1 overall pick and the No. 2 selection in the 2024 NFL draft, Daniels came out on top in a matchup with Bears signal-caller Caleb Williams.

Although he was listed as questionable heading into the game due to a rib injury, Daniels suited up and wrapped up another impressive performance. He finished 21-of-38 for 326 yards and a touchdown, adding another 52 yards on the ground.

Fans and athletes were amazed by the Hail Mary.

NO WAYYYYYYYYYY

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) October 27, 2024

HAHAHHAA LETS GO @Commanders

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 27, 2024

HOLY ****!!!!!!!!!!

— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) October 27, 2024

No way.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 27, 2024

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 27, 2024

The only way for that game to end.

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) October 27, 2024

Holy Hail Mary.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2024

Only the Bears.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) October 27, 2024

That has to be the cleanest Hail Mary catch in NFL history.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) October 27, 2024

Williams experienced issues with accuracy throughout the contest, finishing 10-of-24 for just 131 yards without a touchdown or an interception. The Bears had an opportunity to take the lead earlier in the fourth quarter, but a run designed for backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer resulted in a fumble.

Wild fumble at the goal line... @Commanders ball!

📺: #CHIvsWAS on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/BHjQ6tNNbU

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

The Commanders improved to 6-2 following the last-second win, while the Bears fell to 4-3.