How much has Caleb Williams improved in Year 2?

In his rookie season, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams struggled to live up to the ridiculous hype that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Sure, there were flashes of the elite talent that made him a Heisman Trophy winner at USC (and a star at Oklahoma before he transferred to play for the Trojans), but his first NFL campaign was a roller-coaster of inconsistency.

That’s to be expected with most rookies, and Williams’ chances of consistent success were sandbagged by a lackluster coaching staff and a roster that was still missing top-shelf talent at key positions.

Now armed with an improved supporting cast, including an overhauled coaching staff led by new head coach Ben Johnson, Williams has seen marked improvement through the first handful of weeks in his second NFL season:

Football is the ultimate team game, and Williams is clearly benefitting from much better surroundings after some big offseason changes in Chicago. If he can continue to trust in the elements around him to keep pulling their own weight, it won’t be surprising if Williams hits his lofty ceiling sooner than later for the Bears, giving them their first true franchise quarterback in team history.