Caleb Williams has brought a much-needed spark to the Chicago Bears offense, and his first six games as a rookie are already potentially putting him on a path to rewrite the team’s quarterback history. This is exciting news for Bears fans—particularly in a franchise that has struggled to find a quarterback for decades. Comparing Williams to other notable Chicago Bears rookie quarterbacks highlights his exceptional performance so far.
The Rookie QB Struggles in Chicago
Historically, Chicago has not been known for its stellar quarterback play. While the team has seen legends like Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, and Brian Urlacher dominate on the field, finding consistent, long-term success at the quarterback position has often felt elusive. Several quarterbacks have had brief moments of success, but none have been able to fully take the reins and become the franchise player that Bears fans long for.
Let’s look at the statistics for Bears rookie quarterbacks through their first six games to see just how much Caleb Williams stands out.
| QB | Year | Yards | TDs | INTs | Passer Rating |
| Caleb Williams | 2024 | 1,317 | 9 | 5 | 88.7 |
| Justin Fields | 2021 | 816 | 2 | 6 | 65.3 |
| Mitch Trubisky | 2017 | 990 | 4 | 2 | 80.0 |
| Kyle Orton | 2005 | 962 | 5 | 7 | 65.9 |
| Cade McNown | 1999 | 878 | 7 | 5 | 76.0 |
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Caleb Williams: A Rookie Standout
Looking at the numbers, Caleb Williams’ first six games compare favorably to his predecessors. With 1,317 passing yards, he has already far outpaced the likes of Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, Kyle Orton, and Cade McNown. His ability to move the ball through the air has been evident, as he’s averaging 262 passing yards per game, a mark that suggests he is comfortable attacking defenses vertically and finding his receivers in stride.
What stands out most about Williams’ performance is his ability to make plays down the field while maintaining a relatively high completion percentage and passer rating. With nine touchdowns and a passer rating of 88.7, he has shown the ability to finish drives and make crucial plays in the red zone—something that has been an issue for many rookie quarterbacks in the past.
In comparison, Mitch Trubisky, who had one of the better rookie starts before Williams, only threw for 990 yards in his first six games, with just four touchdown passes. While Trubisky had a respectable passer rating of 80.0, his performance never quite lived up to the early promise, and he eventually regressed in the following seasons.
Justin Fields’ rookie campaign saw him throw for just 816 yards with only two touchdown passes through his first six games. His passer rating of 65.3 reflects the struggles many fans saw on the field—a mixture of misreads, poor protection, and limited offensive success. Kyle Orton and Cade McNown also had mixed starts, with Orton tossing five touchdowns and seven interceptions, while McNown managed seven touchdowns but matched that with five picks.
What Sets Caleb Williams Apart?
His consistent improvement each week makes Caleb Williams’ early performances so different from those of these other quarterbacks. After a shaky start, where the offense struggled to move the ball effectively, Williams has started to click with his receivers and offensive line. Over the last four weeks, Williams has posted an impressive completion rate of 69.9%, showing a dramatic improvement in accuracy, particularly in the short and intermediate passing game.
His ability to throw nine touchdown passes through six games puts him on pace to break the Bears’ rookie record for touchdown passes, and his potential to reach 4,000 passing yards—a feat never before achieved by a Bears quarterback—suggests that Williams has both the skillset and poise to succeed at the highest level. Even in games where the Bears have faced struggling defenses, like the Jacksonville Jaguars or Carolina Panthers, Williams has capitalized on those opportunities, which is what a successful quarterback must do.
The Mental Edge
Beyond the stats, Williams’ mental toughness and attitude set him apart. After his best game against the Jaguars, where he threw for four touchdowns, Williams was notably upset with himself over a single interception. This mindset—always striving to be better—is what every great quarterback needs. Williams isn’t satisfied with good; he’s aiming for greatness.
The Future is Bright
Caleb Williams’ first six games have injected hope into a Bears fan base that has long been starved of quarterback success. Compared to the rookie starts of Fields, Trubisky, Orton, and McNown, Williams is showing that he has the tools, the attitude, and the potential to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has always wanted.
As Williams grows and gains more experience, Bears fans have every reason to be excited about the future. This might be the beginning of a new era in Chicago, led by a young quarterback ready to leave his mark on the franchise and the league.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Because we are looking at records, should not Caleb’s performance be compared over time and space, separately over 12, 14, 16, & 17 game schedules? Soon it will be an 18-game schedule. Then create some more records.
The schedule has been a blessing so far as Caleb has gained confidence and been able to adjust and grow before facing tougher defenses as @BearDownTX stated.
The last 8 games will be tough with lots of division games and determine any playoff hopes the Bears have.
We’ll also be able to find out just how good this rookie actually is.
But remember: HoFer PManning threw 20+ INTs his 1st year and he had HoF MHarrison to throw to. Pro Bowl rookie QBs (CJ and Marino) are the exception not the rule.
The really exciting thing about Caleb is that his 1317 yards over 6 games projects out to 3731 yards over 17 games, which puts him in striking distance of Kramer’s team record of 3838 yards. Further, if we assume that the first few games were him getting up to speed, that number should be higher, and him hitting 4000 yards is very reasonable, barring injury. Of course, he doesn’t care about that, he wants 11 more wins this season before rolling into the playoffs.
I love how Williams has progressed thus far. It will be interesting once we see another top-level defense.
One note, Williams is not averaging 262 yards per game, he is averaging 219.5.
With Mitch and Justin they also didn’t start their first 6 games they were on the team either. Both started later in the year where they had a chance to learn from the bench before starting 6 games.