NFL GM Doesn't Blame Caleb Williams for Struggles: Bears QB 'Is Running for His Life'

One NFL general manager cited Caleb Williams' pass protection as a major factor behind the early struggles of the Chicago Bears quarterback.

The GM told The Athletic's Mike Sando he doesn't "blame the quarterback at all" with the Bears sitting at 1-2 through Week 3.

"He is running for his life, just like he was at USC last year," the exec said of the No. 1 overall pick.

Another talent evaluator echoed those concerns to Sando and questioned Chicago's coaching.

"The Bears' problems, in my opinion, start with the offensive line and the construction of it," the evaluator said. "Then it's [offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron, especially when you look at the other coordinators in the division. He is clearly fourth. The head coach is fourth. Right now, the quarterback is surviving on his own."

Sunday's 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts saw Williams have 52 pass attempts, which isn't an ideal workload for the first-year signal-caller. He nonetheless remained optimistic about the offense's direction.

"Got our first two passing touchdowns of the year, which obviously feels good," he told reporters. "I think the offensive identity is brewing. I think it's a lot closer than it was the week before or weeks before, I think it's right there. I think we were one small detail away on a lot of these plays and that includes me."

Williams has thrown for 630 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions through three starts, and his 26.5 QBR ranks 29th in the league, per ESPN.com.

Some of the rookie's issues are attributable to the adjustment from college to the pros. Things that worked for him at USC, such as extending plays and improvising, are much less likely to come off in the NFL.

But the offensive line issues are real. Williams' 13 sacks are tied for third-most in the league. In addition, head coach Matt Eberflus is the common denominator for an offense that hasn't shown much improvement despite adding a lot of pieces in the offseason.

It doesn't help that the Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 with Justin Fields at the helm, and he's looking more efficient than he was in 2023 with the Bears.

There's still a lot of time left in the season, yet some fans in the Windy City might already feel the team is destined to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year.