NFL Insiders: Caleb Williams 'Looks Rattled' in Bears' Offense amid Struggles

People around the NFL believe "too much has been asked" of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN added the 2024 No. 1 overall pick "looks rattled" in the eyes of people he has talked too. Those sources feel Williams "has become tentative, trying to avoid mistakes," which has affected his game.

It looked like the Bears signal-caller was starting to turn a corner when the team reeled off three straight wins. During that stretch, he threw for 687 yards and seven touchdowns to one interception.

However, Chicago's current three-game losing streak has coincided with a downturn in Williams' performance. He has thrown for 468 yards and completed just 50.5 percent of his passes while failing to find the end zone.

Nobody expects a first-year player to be the finished product right out of the gate. But Graziano contrasted Williams' season with that of the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels and Denver Broncos' Bo Nix.

Daniels is thriving in Washington and the Commanders are second in the NFC East at 7-3. Nix, meanwhile, has fared much better of late after throwing four interceptions across his first two starts.

The trouble for Williams is also that the Bears' reputation precedes them. The franchise has failed for decades to develop a young star at quarterback, and that spans multiple head coaches and general managers.

When it comes to Williams, fans are experiencing a sense of déjà vu because they saw the same things happening with Justin Fields. Sure Fields had his flaws, but glaring issues hampered his on-field progression.

The Bears have already fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator before he could finish up his first full season. Thomas Brown, the team's passing game coordinator, was promoted to the job to finish out the year.

Maybe the coaching change can help Williams get his development back on track.

Even if the 22-year-old starts to look better and more assured under center, it's clear Chicago has a lot of work in the offseason to build a better ecosystem around its quarterback.