“The problem is Caleb Williams” - Ex-NFL scout blames Bears QB for team’s issues ahead of Ben Johnson’s first season

Former NFL scout Daniel Kelly of the New York Jets blames Caleb Williams for his poor rookie season.

Selected first overall, many expected Williams to dominate and be the Rookie of the Year. However, he and the Bears struggled, but many blamed Chicago's offensive line.

Williams was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season, but Kelly says that was because of him and not his offensive line.

In a post from his account with the name "First Round Mock," Kelly broke down how Williams deserves the blame

"It’s interesting watching people talk around the problem with the Bears on this app —and it’s interesting watching the Bears work around the problem. The problem is Caleb Williams. That’s not just a hot take. 2.92 second time to throw (NEXT GEN STATS) 35.6% completion percentage on passes 10+ air yards (33rd Team) which ranks 520/530 for quarterbacks since 2000," Kelly tweeted on Friday.

As Kelly points out, Williams was holding onto the ball too long, which led to him getting sacked plenty of times.

Although his offensive line didn't help, Kelly says Williams should be blamed for not making the reads and throwing the ball away rather than holding onto it and trying to make something happen.

Williams went 351-for-562 for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024. Chicago also hired Ben Johnson as its head coach, which many think will help Williams.

Bears make two major additions to offensive line

Although Daniel Kelly feels Caleb Williams is to be blamed, the Bears did address their offensive line to begin the offseason.

Chicago acquired Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams. Then, the Bears acquired two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jackson and Thuney will be starters for the Bears, and fixing the offensive line was key for Chicago.

"I think offensive line is certainly an area that we need to get better play from going forward, something that [general manager] Ryan [Poles] and I have already talked about," Ben Johnson said on Jan. 20, via ESPN.

"We will develop a plan of attack for how to get that done, but I'm looking forward to getting an excellent offensive line coach in the building to help develop the young talent that we already have on the roster, and we will certainly talk about acquiring talent to bolster that unit as well. But I was certainly blessed the last few years with the men that I worked with. And that was something I would love to replicate here as well."

The Bears also have the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft and could use that pick to select an offensive lineman.