"That's a disgrace" - Dan Orlovsky rips into Matt Eberflus over unacceptable handling of Caleb Williams during Bears QB's rookie season

Quarterback Caleb Williams's reluctance to join the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2024 NFL draft was met with serious considerations to bypass the draft system altogether. Per “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” author Seth Wickersham, Williams and his father Carl explored legal and logistical options to avoid Chicago. They even consulted lawyers and contemplated a move to the United Football League.

Caleb Williams’s concerns now appear to be validated by new details shared by former quarterback and analyst Dan Orlovsky. Responding to Wickersham’s reporting on Thursday, Orlovsky criticized the Bears’s handling of Williams's rookie season under then-coach Matt Eberflus.

"I’m just catching up on the Seth Wickersham piece on Caleb Williams and the Bears and the book that’s coming out," Orlovsky said. "There’s obviously a big piece of his reluctance to go to Chicago. My big takeaway is - no one was watching film with him.”

“No one taught him how to watch film, taught him what to look for, what to study at the defensive level in the NFL. If that’s true, that’s a disgrace. I can't imagine that being something was accepted. What a total mess by the staff if that’s true.”

Additional excerpts from the book “American Kings” highlight Caleb Williams’s early discomfort with then-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, now with the Jaguars. The 23-year-old even told confidants he didn’t believe he could succeed with Waldron in place. However, Bears GM Ryan Poles told the quarterback they were drafting him regardless. Williams eventually committed to the team.

His rookie season ended with 20 touchdown passes, six interceptions, and 68 sacks (tied third for most in league history for a rookie). The Bears went 5-12, lost 10 straight games, and fired Waldron and Eberflus mid-season.

This season, however, looks different. New head coach Ben Johnson has taken over, and Williams has expressed renewed confidence in the team structure and coaching staff.

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Caleb Williams wanted Vikings move, but Bears’ Ben Johnson sees breakout ahead

Ahead of the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams privately hoped to land with the Minnesota Vikings, drawn to coach Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as a top QB developer. Per ESPN, the two connected at the NFL combine, and Williams reportedly told his father,

“I need to go to the Vikings.”

However, with the Bears holding the No. 1 pick via Carolina and division rival dynamics at play, a trade to Minnesota was never considered a viable option.

The quarterback is set for his second season under new HC Ben Johnson, who expressed confidence in Williams’s future. In an interview with “The Herd,” Johnson stated:

“I see a chance for greatness here for him. He’s been communicative that way. There hasn't been a 4,000-yard passer here in this franchise and I think Caleb’s going to be the first one.”

Ben Johnson emphasized that Williams is now fully engaged with the Chicago Bears’s direction, noting their shared vision for building long-term success.