When the Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in April, few doubted he was ready for the moment. Coming out of Gonzaga in the Washington D.C. area, he was a 5-star recruit and one of the top high school prospects at any position. As we know, he initially chose Oklahoma to play for Lincoln Riley and followed Riley to USC, where he started for two seasons, including a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 2022.
Unlike many years when there was debate about who should be selected No. 1, it was clear for months leading up to the draft that Williams would be the Bears' choice. Now, Williams has an opportunity to reshape how we think of the Bears' offense completely.
The Worst Passing Team in NFL History
In the lead-up to the draft, NFL pundits said things like, "The Bears have never had a great quarterback," but does NFL history back up that reputation?
Per-Game Passing Stats, NFL Franchises (Super Bowl Era -- 1966 through 2023), Sorted by Passer Rating
| From | To | Team | Gms | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Rate | Sk | Sk% | Y/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2023 | HOU | 355 | 20.6 | 33.0 | 62.5% | 218.8 | 1.34 | 0.89 | 4.1% | 2.7% | 86.3 | 2.6 | 7.9% | 6.63 |
| 1966 | 2023 | DAL | 899 | 18.9 | 31.4 | 60.2% | 215.0 | 1.48 | 1.07 | 4.7% | 3.4% | 84.3 | 2.3 | 7.3% | 6.84 |
| 1966 | 2023 | SFO | 899 | 19.1 | 31.7 | 60.3% | 214.4 | 1.48 | 1.04 | 4.7% | 3.3% | 84.3 | 2.3 | 7.2% | 6.76 |
| 1966 | 2023 | GNB | 899 | 19.2 | 32.2 | 59.6% | 213.7 | 1.57 | 1.10 | 4.9% | 3.4% | 83.6 | 2.3 | 7.3% | 6.64 |
| 1995 | 2023 | JAX | 467 | 20.1 | 33.4 | 60.1% | 209.9 | 1.24 | 0.86 | 3.7% | 2.6% | 82.1 | 2.6 | 7.8% | 6.29 |
| 1966 | 2023 | KAN | 899 | 18.3 | 31.0 | 58.9% | 203.0 | 1.32 | 0.96 | 4.3% | 3.1% | 82.0 | 2.3 | 7.3% | 6.55 |
| 1966 | 2023 | MIN | 899 | 19.4 | 32.3 | 59.9% | 210.6 | 1.43 | 1.11 | 4.4% | 3.4% | 81.9 | 2.5 | 7.6% | 6.51 |
| 1996 | 2023 | BAL | 451 | 19.8 | 33.0 | 60.1% | 204.8 | 1.32 | 0.91 | 4.0% | 2.8% | 81.7 | 2.3 | 6.9% | 6.21 |
| 1976 | 2023 | SEA | 759 | 18.6 | 31.6 | 58.9% | 203.2 | 1.42 | 1.05 | 4.5% | 3.3% | 81.4 | 2.6 | 8.2% | 6.43 |
| 1968 | 2023 | CIN | 870 | 18.7 | 31.6 | 59.1% | 202.7 | 1.36 | 1.01 | 4.3% | 3.2% | 81.3 | 2.4 | 7.7% | 6.41 |
| 1967 | 2023 | NOR | 885 | 19.6 | 32.7 | 59.8% | 213.6 | 1.42 | 1.15 | 4.3% | 3.5% | 80.9 | 2.2 | 6.6% | 6.53 |
| 1966 | 2023 | IND | 899 | 19.0 | 32.2 | 59.1% | 210.2 | 1.41 | 1.10 | 4.4% | 3.4% | 80.9 | 2.1 | 6.6% | 6.53 |
| 1966 | 2023 | MIA | 899 | 18.8 | 32.0 | 58.8% | 208.3 | 1.42 | 1.13 | 4.4% | 3.5% | 80.3 | 2.0 | 6.3% | 6.52 |
| 1966 | 2023 | WAS | 899 | 18.5 | 31.9 | 58.2% | 205.9 | 1.36 | 1.06 | 4.3% | 3.3% | 80.0 | 2.3 | 7.1% | 6.46 |
| 1966 | 2023 | NWE | 899 | 18.6 | 32.2 | 57.8% | 209.6 | 1.44 | 1.13 | 4.5% | 3.5% | 79.8 | 2.2 | 7.0% | 6.51 |
| 1966 | 2023 | LAC | 899 | 19.8 | 33.7 | 58.6% | 225.7 | 1.45 | 1.24 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 79.7 | 2.1 | 6.2% | 6.70 |
| 1966 | 2023 | LVR | 899 | 18.0 | 31.4 | 57.2% | 206.4 | 1.45 | 1.19 | 4.6% | 3.8% | 79.1 | 2.5 | 7.9% | 6.56 |
| 1966 | 2023 | LAR | 899 | 18.4 | 31.7 | 58.0% | 205.6 | 1.33 | 1.12 | 4.2% | 3.5% | 78.9 | 2.3 | 7.2% | 6.49 |
| 1966 | 2023 | ATL | 899 | 18.1 | 31.2 | 58.1% | 198.8 | 1.32 | 1.13 | 4.2% | 3.6% | 78.7 | 2.8 | 8.9% | 6.37 |
| 1966 | 2023 | DEN | 899 | 18.5 | 32.1 | 57.5% | 208.4 | 1.37 | 1.16 | 4.3% | 3.6% | 78.5 | 2.5 | 7.7% | 6.49 |
| 1995 | 2023 | CAR | 467 | 18.9 | 32.3 | 58.4% | 202.3 | 1.25 | 1.04 | 3.9% | 3.2% | 78.5 | 2.5 | 7.7% | 6.26 |
| 1966 | 2023 | PHI | 899 | 18.8 | 33.0 | 57.1% | 204.3 | 1.39 | 1.07 | 4.2% | 3.3% | 78.4 | 2.8 | 8.4% | 6.20 |
| 1966 | 2023 | PIT | 899 | 17.4 | 30.5 | 57.0% | 197.5 | 1.32 | 1.16 | 4.3% | 3.8% | 77.4 | 2.3 | 7.4% | 6.46 |
| 1966 | 2023 | DET | 899 | 18.4 | 32.0 | 57.3% | 198.4 | 1.26 | 1.13 | 3.9% | 3.5% | 76.3 | 2.6 | 8.3% | 6.20 |
| 1966 | 2023 | NYG | 899 | 17.9 | 31.5 | 56.9% | 196.2 | 1.24 | 1.11 | 3.9% | 3.5% | 76.1 | 2.5 | 8.0% | 6.23 |
| 1976 | 2023 | TAM | 759 | 18.8 | 32.7 | 57.3% | 204.7 | 1.29 | 1.18 | 3.9% | 3.6% | 76.0 | 2.4 | 7.2% | 6.25 |
| 1966 | 2023 | TEN | 899 | 17.8 | 31.0 | 57.4% | 195.5 | 1.22 | 1.17 | 4.0% | 3.8% | 75.9 | 2.3 | 7.4% | 6.31 |
| 1966 | 2023 | BUF | 898 | 17.6 | 30.9 | 56.9% | 191.2 | 1.29 | 1.21 | 4.2% | 3.9% | 75.2 | 2.4 | 7.8% | 6.19 |
| 1966 | 2023 | CLE | 851 | 17.8 | 31.5 | 56.4% | 194.2 | 1.24 | 1.22 | 3.9% | 3.9% | 74.0 | 2.4 | 7.6% | 6.17 |
| 1966 | 2023 | ARI | 899 | 18.7 | 33.1 | 56.6% | 205.0 | 1.21 | 1.25 | 3.7% | 3.8% | 73.8 | 2.5 | 7.6% | 6.19 |
| 1966 | 2023 | NYJ | 899 | 17.8 | 31.4 | 56.6% | 193.6 | 1.20 | 1.23 | 3.8% | 3.9% | 73.6 | 2.4 | 7.6% | 6.16 |
| 1966 | 2023 | CHI | 899 | 16.7 | 29.7 | 56.4% | 175.0 | 1.07 | 1.18 | 3.6% | 4.0% | 71.4 | 2.4 | 8.0% | 5.89 |
Chicago Datapoints:
- 32nd (Worst) in Passer Rating (71.4)
- 32nd in Yards per Attempt (5.89)
- 27th in Sack Rate (8.0%)
- 32nd in Interception Rate (4.0%)
- 32nd in Touchdown Rate (3.6%)
- 32nd in Passing Yards (175.0)
- 32nd in Completion Rate (56.4%)
It's been HARD for Windy City residents. But even the worst franchises occasionally luck into greatness for a season or two, right? Not the Bears, at least not when it comes to their quarterbacks.
Top 25 Chicago Bears Quarterback Seasons, Sorted by Passing Yards (Super Bowl Era)
| Rank | Player | Season | Age | Gms | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Sk | Y/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Kramer | 1995 | 31 | 16 | 315 | 522 | 60.3% | 3,838 | 29 | 10 | 5.6% | 1.9% | 15 | 7.4 |
| 2 | Jay Cutler | 2014 | 31 | 15 | 370 | 561 | 66.0% | 3,812 | 28 | 18 | 5.0% | 3.2% | 38 | 6.8 |
| 3 | Jay Cutler | 2009 | 26 | 16 | 336 | 555 | 60.5% | 3,666 | 27 | 26 | 4.9% | 4.7% | 35 | 6.6 |
| 4 | Jay Cutler | 2015 | 32 | 15 | 311 | 483 | 64.4% | 3,659 | 21 | 11 | 4.3% | 2.3% | 29 | 7.6 |
| 5 | Jay Cutler | 2010 | 27 | 15 | 261 | 432 | 60.4% | 3,274 | 23 | 16 | 5.3% | 3.7% | 52 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Mitch Trubisky | 2018 | 24 | 14 | 289 | 434 | 66.6% | 3,223 | 24 | 12 | 5.5% | 2.8% | 24 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Rex Grossman | 2006 | 26 | 16 | 262 | 480 | 54.6% | 3,193 | 23 | 20 | 4.8% | 4.2% | 21 | 6.7 |
| 8 | Mitch Trubisky | 2019 | 25 | 15 | 326 | 516 | 63.2% | 3,138 | 17 | 10 | 3.3% | 1.9% | 38 | 6.1 |
| 9 | Jim Harbaugh | 1991 | 28 | 16 | 275 | 478 | 57.5% | 3,121 | 15 | 16 | 3.1% | 3.3% | 24 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Jay Cutler | 2012 | 29 | 15 | 255 | 434 | 58.8% | 3,033 | 19 | 14 | 4.4% | 3.2% | 38 | 7.0 |
| 11 | Erik Kramer | 1997 | 33 | 15 | 275 | 477 | 57.7% | 3,011 | 14 | 14 | 2.9% | 2.9% | 25 | 6.3 |
| 12 | Kyle Orton | 2008 | 26 | 15 | 272 | 465 | 58.5% | 2,972 | 18 | 12 | 3.9% | 2.6% | 27 | 6.4 |
| 13 | Jay Cutler | 2013 | 30 | 11 | 224 | 355 | 63.1% | 2,621 | 19 | 12 | 5.4% | 3.4% | 19 | 7.4 |
| 14 | Justin Fields | 2023 | 24 | 13 | 227 | 370 | 61.4% | 2,562 | 16 | 9 | 4.3% | 2.4% | 44 | 6.9 |
| 15 | Jim Harbaugh | 1992 | 29 | 16 | 202 | 358 | 56.4% | 2,486 | 13 | 12 | 3.6% | 3.4% | 31 | 6.9 |
| 16 | Jim McMahon | 1985 | 26 | 13 | 178 | 313 | 56.9% | 2,392 | 15 | 11 | 4.8% | 3.5% | 26 | 7.6 |
| 17 | Vince Evans | 1981 | 26 | 16 | 195 | 436 | 44.7% | 2,354 | 11 | 20 | 2.5% | 4.6% | 23 | 5.4 |
| 18 | Jay Cutler | 2011 | 28 | 10 | 182 | 314 | 58.0% | 2,319 | 13 | 7 | 4.1% | 2.2% | 23 | 7.4 |
| 19 | Jim Miller | 2001 | 30 | 14 | 228 | 395 | 57.7% | 2,299 | 13 | 10 | 3.3% | 2.5% | 11 | 5.8 |
| 20 | Dave Krieg | 1996 | 38 | 13 | 226 | 377 | 59.9% | 2,278 | 14 | 12 | 3.7% | 3.2% | 14 | 6.0 |
| 21 | Justin Fields | 2022 | 23 | 15 | 192 | 318 | 60.4% | 2,242 | 17 | 11 | 5.3% | 3.5% | 55 | 7.1 |
| 22 | Mitch Trubisky | 2017 | 23 | 12 | 196 | 330 | 59.4% | 2,193 | 7 | 7 | 2.1% | 2.1% | 31 | 6.6 |
| 23 | Jim McMahon | 1983 | 24 | 14 | 175 | 295 | 59.3% | 2,184 | 12 | 13 | 4.1% | 4.4% | 42 | 7.4 |
| 24 | Jim Harbaugh | 1990 | 27 | 14 | 180 | 312 | 57.7% | 2,178 | 10 | 6 | 3.2% | 1.9% | 31 | 7.0 |
| 25 | Jack Concannon | 1970 | 27 | 14 | 194 | 385 | 50.4% | 2,130 | 16 | 18 | 4.2% | 4.7% | 24 | 5.5 |
All hail, Erik Kramer? It's hard to believe that a nearly 30-year-old season would be the franchise's statistical best, but Kramer's 1995 totals remain the benchmark.
- The Bears have NEVER had a 4,000-yard passer
- Chicago has NEVER had a 30-touchdown passer
- The team has never attempted 600 passes
- The Bears have never averaged 8.0 yards per attempt
Jay Cutler is inarguably the team's most accomplished passer:
- 4 of the top 5 seasons
- 5 of the top 10 seasons
- 6 of the top 13 seasons
- 7 of the top 20 seasons
For comparison, there have been 108 quarterback seasons with at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in the modern era, while the Bears have none as a franchise.
- Peyton Manning did it 9 times
- Drew Brees also did it 9 times
- Tom Brady did it 8 times
- Aaron Rodgers has done it 7 times
- Philip Rivers did it 6 times
- Patrick Mahomes has done it 4 times
Can Caleb Williams Set the Record as a Rookie?
With the Bears quarterback's historic ineptitude on full display, we can say definitively that it would be a colossal disappointment if Caleb Williams doesn't rewrite the Bears record books over his career. But should we bet on him doing so as a rookie? Let's look at recent history:
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