Caleb Williams has already earned something every quarterback wants and not every quarterback gets: real respect from the guys lining up across from him.
That was on display in comments from Matthew Stafford, who spoke about Williams in a recent article by Mike Pendleton. Stafford didn’t sound like he was talking about a rookie still trying to find his footing. He sounded like a veteran who had just watched a quarterback do something absurd and had to process it in real time.
“He launches the freaking NFL Blitz jump throw for a touchdown, I was like 'What the hell is this?'" Stafford told Long.
"Every snow game is a little bit different, they're all different, they're a lot of fun to play in, except when you're playing Caleb Williams and he sprints back to the 50 and launches the freaking NFL Blitz jump throw for a touchdown. I think he's just like with the ball in his hand, it's as scary as anybody for sure.
You don't know what's going to happen. He was running back to the 50 and I was in my head thinking 'Oh, sweet.
All right here we go, what are we doing here?' Then he launches it and I was like 'Oh that looks good' and then they caught.
But then you have to move on quickly."
That kind of reaction says plenty. Williams has built a reputation around the league as a quarterback who can make a defense feel uneasy the second the ball is in his hands. That’s the kind of trait that gets noticed fast, especially when it comes from one of the NFL’s most respected passers.
For the Bears, it’s a sharp change from the quarterback conversations they used to have. Williams’ play this past season was good enough to draw praise from his peers, and that matters. If he takes another step forward, that admiration could turn into something a little less friendly, the way it has for Patrick Mahomes.
For now, though, the message is clear: Chicago has a quarterback the best in the league are paying attention to.
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