Kurt Warner isn’t buying the simple version of Caleb Williams’ recent surge.
Yes, the numbers have popped. Williams has now stacked back-to-back games with more than 300 passing yards and no interceptions, including Chicago’s 30-24 win over New England. But Warner’s big takeaway from Tuesday’s appearance on 104.3 The Score’s Spiegel & Holmes Show had less to do with the splash plays and more to do with how Williams is getting them.
“I think he's done, you know, the best job he's done in his career NFL wise doing that these last couple weeks,” Warner said.
That’s no throwaway compliment coming from a Hall of Fame quarterback. Warner’s point was that Williams is looking far more comfortable doing the work that usually separates talented quarterbacks from dependable ones: operating from the pocket, especially when the Bears get into tough third-down situations.
For Chicago, that’s a meaningful shift. Williams arrived with the kind of arm talent and improvisational ability that can light up a highlight reel in a hurry. The issue has always been whether he could keep the offense on schedule without turning routine snaps into chaos.
Warner believes that part of the game is starting to come around.
He also gave credit to the Bears’ offensive line for holding up against a New England front he expected to be a problem. One play that stood out to him was Williams’ throw to Rome Odunze on an in-breaking route.
Still, the bigger theme for Warner was Williams’ changing approach. Last season, he often seemed inclined to flee the pocket and chase something bigger outside the structure of the play. That could lead to spectacular results, but it also meant leaving good throws on the table.
Warner thinks Ben Johnson is helping reshape that habit.
The most intriguing part of Warner’s comments came when the discussion turned to Williams’ hamstring injury. Warner floated the idea that being limited as a runner may have helped Williams grow as a pocket passer.
He pointed to a similar experience from his own career. Warner said coaches used to run what they called the "kill Kurt drill," a setup designed to stop him from escaping the pocket and force him to stand in and throw.
He wondered whether Williams’ injury had a similar effect.
Warner was careful not to say the injury caused the improvement. But he clearly sees a connection in the way Williams has been operating lately. With less freedom to take off and improvise, Williams may have been pushed into trusting his reads and allowing the offense to unfold in front of him.
That’s the version Warner seems to believe Chicago wants.
He’s not suggesting Williams should give up the wow factor entirely. The idea is simpler than that: if Williams can produce three or four special plays a game and do the steady work from the pocket the rest of the way, that’s a quarterback who can truly run an offense.
It’s still early, and two strong games won’t answer every question about Williams’ future. But Warner sees a real difference now - and it’s coming from the part of the game Chicago has wanted him to master all along.
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