The Chicago Bears tied 24-24 over the weekend against the Miami Dolphins, but the most interesting part of their performance wasn’t what we saw but rather what we didn’t see. First overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, didn’t play a single snap of football.
While it’s preseason, and little can be ascertained from these kinds of games, it hasn’t stopped fans and analysts alike from speculating. Colin Cowherd is one of them, and he seems to think Williams might not be in the Bears’ long-term plans.
“It’s not like he couldn’t use the snaps. When tech companies delay the release, okay, it’s usually because you’re still in the beta stage. Right? You’re just not quite comfortable putting it out to the public. And everybody in-house knows it, but you’re just like ‘You know, we are just not going to release our product yet,’ says Apple. ‘We just want to tighten it. I mean, the product is great. It’s going to be revolutionary, but it’s just not quite there.’ I think there are some eggshells here. I think Caleb is not quite where Ben Johnson wants him,” he said (3:05).
“When tech companies delay the release it’s usually because you’re still in the beta stage.”@colincowherd reacts to Caleb Williams sitting out the Bears preseason opener pic.twitter.com/A8g68CXdwi
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 11, 2025
Fans quickly reacted to the statement.
“I’m beginning to think Colin doesn’t believe in Caleb,” wrote one.
“The Bears 🐻 are the worst franchise in the NFL. It starts with ownership,” wrote someone else.
“They had a joint practice on Friday where the 1s got the bulk of the reps, which is why 9 starters on each side of the ball didn’t play. This is just getting absurd,” pointed out another person.
Several fans disagreed with Cowherd’s take.
“This is really ridiculous. Please Caleb cram a huge shit burger down Colin’s throat,” joked one fan.
“This is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen,” lamented another.
Some did defend Cowherd.
“Where Colin was wrong,” said one fan.
NFL coach levels criticisms at Caleb Williams through anonymity
On Michael Sando’s yearly quarterback tier list for The Athletic, the journalist managed to get a series of interesting quotes from anonymous coaches about the different passers in the league.
One of them was about the Bears’ signal-caller, Caleb Williams, and they weren’t kind words.
“You saw signs and ability, and I also think you saw signs and ability that scare you,” an NFL coach told The Athletic’s Michael Sando. “Nervousness in the pocket, inability to see and play on time. But I do not know yet if that was him or coaching. Parts of me wondered if you could get it done with this guy, but it’s good enough to make you think you have a chance.”
He certainly struggled in 2024, with a record of 5-12 and only 3,541 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. But he also broke the record for the most consecutive passes by a rookie without an interception (354). He only had six interceptions in his rookie year.
However, he wasn’t protected enough by the offensive line. He got sacked 68 times in 2024.
Also Read:
Ex-Jets Scout Defends Controversial Caleb Williams ‘Bust’ Grade Amid Media Backlash
Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders, and More: Ex-Jets Scout Names 9 QBs Who Were Doomed From the Start
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