Kerry Joseph spent a few seasons in Seattle as their assistant quarterbacks coach. In that time, he worked exclusively with veterans, from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith and Drew Lock. His arrival as the new Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach brought a new challenge. He would be responsible for overseeing the development of #1 overall pick Caleb Williams. It is a premium opportunity. If Joseph can help the young man excel, he may soon have multiple job offers for higher positions coming his way. The first step is figuring out the best way to teach Williams.
That meant getting to know the young man. It didn’t take long for the Bears coach to realize that his new charge was not what you’d call normal. What stood out right away was Williams’ approach to learning. Yes, it involved the usual going through drills, studying the playbook, and rehearsing cadences. However, Joseph admitted to the Bears media that Williams takes it a step further. He constantly asks “why” about everything. He doesn’t just want to know about plays and concepts. The QB wants to understand the reasons for them.
That is something Joseph was admittedly taken off guard by.
Caleb Williams doesn’t want to know the offense. He wants to embrace.
For that to happen, he must understand the purpose behind every play he calls. That way, he knows what it is supposed to do and what he’ll have to do if changes are required at the line of scrimmage. This is not something you typically hear with a rookie quarterback. Most of them spend their time learning the playbook and running what is called. They don’t take ownership of the offense until they’re more experienced. Williams isn’t bothering to follow that timeline. He wants answers immediately.
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Joseph is duty-bound to provide them. It is encouraging to know how determined the Bears quarterback is. Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields were more traditional rookies. They remained quiet and did what they were told. Caleb Williams already operates as if he has a clear understanding of his position. The best quarterbacks are the ones who take full control of the offense, even if they might not call the actual plays. Jim McMahon was probably the last Bears QB to do that. We all know how that ended.
Difficult to say which is worse, the US Supreme Court or about six commenters often on this site.
Unfortunately I’ve heard all this before about previous rookies. Hot air that may or may not come true.
Erik, this is a nice, finely nuanced and tuned article about a subtle, but very salient, matter–the ability to embrace something to make it more your own. That sort of acceptance will allow Caleb to make sensible modifications to whatever is embraced. That “something” should be described, explained, predicted, and, if necessary, prescribed to solve any problems or reach goals. When you ask, why, then you are set up for explanation–the highest form of human knowledge.
Alright, I’ll add my take. We are used to QB complacency. We might be a little short sighted with this guy. Sure, he wants to be a Legend. Why assume he capped his goals there? He grew up in DC with Daniel Snyder holding back his hometown team. He’s gonna make a lot of money. Maybe he wants to buy the Lakers one day.
Reprint