When Kyle Shanahan speaks about quarterbacks, it’s worth listening. The 49ers head coach has spent his life around elite-level football minds, and he’s carved out a reputation as one of the sharpest offensive thinkers in the NFL. So when he offered some high praise for Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams this week, it didn’t just raise eyebrows - it turned heads across the league.
“Caleb is one of the best throwers and athletic quarterbacks I’ve ever seen,” Shanahan said during a Wednesday press conference. “He makes some big-time throws.
Extremely scary on the perimeter. It makes sense why he’s playing at such a high level.”
That’s not just standard coach-speak. This is Shanahan - a guy who’s coached against the best, game-planned for legends, and grown up in meeting rooms with Hall of Famers - putting a rookie in rare air.
And when he says Williams is one of the best throwers ever, that’s not hyperbole. That’s a coach who’s seen it all, from John Elway in his childhood, to Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes throughout his career.
Shanahan’s been on the sidelines since 2004. He’s watched and coached through the golden age of quarterback play. So when he singles out Williams, it’s not just about the arm talent - it’s about what that arm can do in real time, under pressure, when the game is hanging in the balance.
And make no mistake: Shanahan knows exactly how dangerous a quarterback like Caleb Williams can be.
Look back at some of the most painful playoff exits in Shanahan’s career, and there's a common thread - elite quarterback play on the other side. In 2019, it was Mahomes rallying the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
In 2021, it was Matthew Stafford threading the needle in the NFC Championship. And again in 2023, Mahomes struck late to break the 49ers’ hearts.
The only year that didn’t follow that pattern was 2022, when injuries decimated Shanahan’s QB room and left his team without a fighting chance.
He’s seen firsthand how quickly an elite quarterback can flip the script. One throw.
One moment. That’s all it takes.
And that’s exactly the kind of threat Caleb Williams is becoming in Chicago.
The Bears’ rookie hasn’t just flashed potential - he’s delivered in big moments. Whether it was the flea flicker against Dallas that caught the defense sleeping, the frozen rope to Colston Loveland in the dying seconds in Cincinnati, or the off-platform strike to Cole Kmet while rolling left in Philadelphia, Williams has already authored a highlight reel that most veterans would envy.
These are the kinds of throws that change games. They change seasons. And they change how defenses game-plan week to week.
That’s why arm strength still matters so much in today’s NFL. It’s not just about velocity - it’s about the ability to threaten every blade of grass on the field.
It’s about making defenses account for throws that most quarterbacks can’t even attempt. It’s about the fear factor - and Williams is already instilling that in opponents.
Shanahan sees it. He’s lived it.
And he’s not handing out compliments for the sake of headlines. When he says Caleb Williams is one of the best he’s ever seen, it’s because he knows what that level of talent looks like - and more importantly, what it can do to even the best-coached teams in the league.
For the Bears, that’s a sign they’ve got something special. For the rest of the NFL, it’s a warning: Caleb Williams is here, and he’s only just getting started.