‘You can tell he’s a defeated guy’

Few people understand what Caleb Williams is going through in 2024 than Troy Aikman. During his call during Week 15’s Monday Night Football game between Williams’ Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings, Aikman offered some words of encouragement and concern regarding Williams.

Early in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, the Bears kicked a field goal. On the play before, Williams bought time by tripping around before sending a risky pass into the end zone. When he threw the ball (resulting in an incomplete pass), Williams took a stiff shot from Minnesota’s Jihad Ward. When Monday night football broadcast returned from commercial, the cameras showed Williams on the sidelines. Play-by-play man Joe Buck noted that Williams “Told us he’s healthy but tired.”

“This is the time of year when the college seasons end,” Aikman said. “So they are long years. And when you have the year they have, they are so much longer. What you worry about, Joe, for a young quarterback — and I went through it. I was 0-11 as a starter. And you know, he’s had a much better rookie season than I did.”

For Williams and the Bears, those words may cause optimism about the future.

Aikman was selected first overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. His first year was miserable as the Cowboys went 1-15 and – as Aikman noted – he went 0-11 as a starter. But in a few years, things turned around. Aikman quarterbacked the Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories and had a Hall of Fame career. So while Williams and the Bears struggle, we’ve seen a No. 1 become a legend after struggling mightily as a rookie. If Williams is ahead of where Aikman was as a rookie, there’s reason to believe the future could be bright.

Troy Aikman on a rough night and season for Caleb Williams.

“I was 0-11 as a starter and he’s had a much better rookie season than I did.”

“He was grimacing and in enormous pain. When you see him, you can tell he’s a defeated guy.” pic.twitter.com/Vv91cKVm9F

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) 17 December 2024

Of course, things can get better for Williams. That said, Aikman also shared a concern about the challenges facing the Chicago rookie.

“When you mentioned that we saw him on the sidelines, he was grimacing and in tremendous pain,” Aikman added. “And as I watch him, you can tell he’s a defeated guy. I mentioned he hasn’t been through anything like this at any point in his career. What you worry about is that a rookie quarterback lose confidence.”

What probably makes this season worse mentally for Williams and the Bears is that there were early signs of significant progress. It wasn’t always pretty, but Chicago started the season 4-2 and was one game away from going 5-2. But a miraculous Hail Mary gave the Washington Commanders a stunning win over the Bears in Week 8, and Chicago hasn’t gotten back on track since. The loss to Washington was the first of an eight-game (and counting) losing streak for the Bears. And while there have been some close calls, most of the losses have been decisive.

So while Williams may be ahead of where Aikman was at this point in his career, he also has significant hurdles to overcome.

(Photo credit: ABC)