NFL legend Tom Brady is making waves in his debut season as a FOX broadcaster, offering insights from a career that cemented him as the greatest quarterback of all time.
Predictably, Brady has faced plenty of criticism for his analysis. Much of that criticism is warranted. While some is not.
Regardless, he has plenty of room to improve and he’ll be the first to admit that.
During yesterday’s game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Brady shared an interesting take on the handling of Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brady suggested that Chicago set Williams up for a rough transition to the NFL by naming him the starting quarterback as early as they did.
Brady’s take sparked a backlash. CBS Sports writer Matt Eurich pushed back, saying, “Don’t really agree with Tom Brady lambasting the Bears for naming Caleb Williams the starter when he was drafted. He earned the job by being the No. 1 pick. That’s kind of how it works.”
Others echoed the sentiment. Erik Duerrwaechter of WCGridiron pointed out the stark contrast in Brady’s own path to success: “I mean. Tom Brady sat behind an established vet in Drew Bledsoe after being drafted in the 6th round. Who the hell was Caleb Williams gonna sit behind?”
Most people understand the point that Brady was trying to make. It’s much better to earn something rather than have it handed to you.
Sure, we all knew that Chicago was most likely going to go with Williams as the starting quarterback this season, but at least pretend to have an open competition throughout training camp.
Regardless, Williams rookie season has been a disappointment thus far. He’s struggled mightily at times and there have been rumors of Bears veterans wanting him to be benched.
Through nine games, he’s posted a 4-5 record with 1,785 passing yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions, and a concerning league-high 38 sacks. He’s also been wildly inaccurate at times.
The Bears have been anything but stable, recently firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron amid mounting internal frustrations.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer of The MMQB, the team had hoped Williams would be more prepared for the challenges of leading an NFL offense.
“There’s a ton of frustration, no question,” Breer said. “I think a lot of this stems back to Caleb Williams not being quite as ready as [the Bears] hoped he’d be when the season began.”
Under newly promoted offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, Chicago has begun implementing changes to foster cohesion, including full-unit meetings designed to address the team’s offensive struggles.
“One of the first things that Thomas Brown did over the course of the last few days is emphasize having full unit meetings, rather than breaking into position groups,” Breer added. “The hope is that he can bring the group together to try to find solutions.”
While no one was forecasting a Super Bowl season for the Bears in 2024, most Chicago fans were hoping to see more out of Williams. Having said that, he still has time to grow and develop as the second half of the season progresses.
Do you agree with Brady that Chicago actually stunted Williams’ growth by naming him the starter as early as they did???
