The Chicago Bears weren't expected to be Super Bowl contender during Caleb Williams's rookie season, but the former No. 1 pick was likely hoping for a better result than the team's 5-12 campaign.
Speaking with Brian O'Keefe of Esquire, Williams admitted that the sheer amount of losing he endured during his rookie season was something he's never had to experience before, and it took a toll on him.
"I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never lost this much," Williams told O'Keefe.
The Bears lost 12 games in 2024, and Williams admitted that some of the losses later in the season had a significant impact on him on multiple levels.
"When I got home, I got in my bed. I just dropped a few tears,” Williams said. “And I was just so beat-up mentally, physically, spiritually."
It was certainly not an easy season for Williams. Playing behind an offensive line that on occasion resembled a revolving door, the 23-year-old was sacked 68 times. That ranks tied for third all-time behind only former Houston Texans QB David Carr in 2002, when he was sacked 76 times, and ex-Philadelphia Eagles star Randall Cunningham, who was sacked 72 times in 1986.
The wear and tear of the 17-game season, paired with the frequency of defeat, reduced Williams to tears at points throughout the year. But it also served as an important aspect of his development.
"To go on a losing streak, to be in this position and be at the helm of it, was definitely important for me. Just being able to see how I need to be when times are bad," Williams said, indicating that the 12-loss season will ultimately benefit him in the long run, as he knows what it's like to operate while mired in a losing streak.
Williams and the entire city of Chicago will certainly be hoping for a more fortuitous 2025 season following the year of hardship the franchise endured.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caleb Williams Says He Shed 'a Few Tears' in Rookie Season: 'Never Lost This Much'.
