It's no secret or exaggeration to say Chicago's 2024-25 season did not go the way rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had planned; his draft day text to rookie punter Tory Taylor should tell you everything you need to know.
In his first year out of USC, the 23-year-old had two head coaches and took 68 sacks—but he also threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Which is to say there is still talent and potential there, despite an up-and-down start and some instability at the top. Indeed, Williams's promise played a large part in attracting newly minted head coach Ben Johnson, a highly-coveted candidate the Bears hope will transform their struggling offense and deliver a version of the quarterback Chicago has yet to see.
Around the time of Johnson's first press conference on Wednesday, Williams offered up a hilarious movie reference to describe this rocky rookie year, a lot of which had just as much to do with the front office as it did with his actual play.
"The last 12 months for you have been pretty wild," said one reporter to Williams, who was wearing a black leather trench coat, a suit, and a chain.
"That's why I have this suit on," he quipped, regarding his outfit. "'Cause it felt like I was in the Matrix."
Watch that below:
"That's why I have this suit on. Cause it felt like I was in the Matrix."
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 22, 2025
Caleb Williams on how his last 12 months has felt 😅
(via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/A8JKummCjb
The former first-rounder sounded pretty playful in his reply, which is good—seems like he's ready to move forward and is optimistic about his future. Johnson seems to be aligned; in his presser, he praised the talent on Chicago's roster, and even got in a few digs about a divisional rival. So everyone's settling in nicely, it would appear. New Bears era on its way.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caleb Williams Had the Perfect Movie Reference to Describe First Season With Bears.
