Ian Rapoport Has New Details On Caleb Williams Benching Controversy

Information surfaced on the firing of Shane Waldron earlier this week. Marc Silverman of ESPN 1000 led the way, stating that several people in the locker room approached GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus about making a change. He added some unexpected gas to the flame when he stated some players also requested Caleb Williams be benched in favor of Tyson Bagent. This led to the rise of another interesting revelation: the rumor originated from Bagent’s father, Travis. Silverman denied this was the case, standing by his sources.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has finally stepped forward with more details on the subject. First of all, the idea of benching Williams was never serious. It was merely brought up as one of several possibilities in a meeting between coaches and team leaders. Most importantly, the reasoning for the move had nothing to do with Williams’ poor play over the past few weeks. It was more about trying to give him a respite from the constant beatings he’s taken (18 sacks in three games).

No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is still the starter and it will remain that way. Despite speculation to the contrary, the Bears did not nearly bench Williams ahead of Sunday’s game against the Packers.

Instead, as sources explained, the possibility of starting Tyson Bagent over Williams was brought up in a broader context during a meeting with team brass and several of the team’s leaders prior to Tuesday’s firing of OC Shane Waldron. The idea would have been to give Williams a break for a few games, similar to what the Panthers did with Bryce Young (the 2023 No. 1 overall pick) earlier this season.

Sitting Williams was never truly considered, but part of a thorough evaluation prior to Waldron’s dismissal.

Caleb Williams has to work his way out of this funk.

Franchise quarterbacks are expected to do this. The Bears took a necessary step in helping that process by firing Waldron, who clearly wasn’t helping. Thomas Brown has promised a transition to more of a quick-game attack, getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands and working to find an early rhythm. If nothing else, that should help to mitigate the bevy of sacks he’s been taking lately. Brown has a reputation for being fiery and demanding. He holds players accountable.

That may not immediately get Caleb Williams back to the form he showed in London, but it hopefully will get him thinking less and letting the ball rip. Restoring his confidence is of the utmost priority for the Bears. Nothing else matters until then.