Caleb Williams Dogged by the Same Trait That Forced Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Slide, Says NFL Legend

Chicago Bears fans were all hyped up after Caleb Williams’ strong first half against the Minnesota Vikings. However, things took a sharp turn in the second half. Suddenly, the same fans who cheered his every move were quick to flood social media with harsh criticism. The Bears stumbled to a narrow 27-24 loss, leaving many wondering what went wrong.

Meanwhile, the criticism didn’t stop with fans. Recently, during the Up & Adams Show, NFL legend Cris Carter pointed out a glaring weakness in Williams’ game: “holding onto the ball.” Carter didn’t hold back, saying, “That’s not a good trait. Unless you’re Michael Vick, unless you’re Lamar, like these guys are, like Shedeur, he held onto the ball too long in college. Caleb held onto the ball too long in college. It’s a bad trait to have coming into the National Football League.”

Still, Carter sees a bright future for Williams. He confidently stated that under Johnson, Caleb “is going to develop into a great, great leader.” And yes, Carter already mentioned how Williams and Shedeur Sanders shared a similar struggle. And it’s one of the reasons Sanders fell from being ranked 30th by NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers all the way to the fifth round.

As NBC Sports’ Chris Simms pointed out, while Sanders impressed most draft experts with his accuracy, questions about his playstyle raised red flags. “Sanders was questioned for holding on to the ball too long and taking too many sacks. His arm strength was also an issue,” Simms explained, shedding light on the full picture.

Moreover, Simms went further to explain why this weakness became such a hurdle. He said, “The great quarterbacks have something great they can visibly do—an elite physical trait. I didn’t see that with any of the [quarterback prospects] besides Cam Ward.” Simms also pointed out that Colorado’s poor offensive line and lack of a running game forced Sanders to either get the ball out very quickly or play off-schedule, making it tougher to shine.

The loss against the Bears was not something we saw coming for the Ben Johnson-Caleb Williams era, though.

The Ben Johnson-Caleb Williams era begins on an unexpected note

At first, the Bears seemed to have everything going their way. Caleb Williams ignited the scoring with his first career rushing touchdown, giving the Bears an early 7-0 lead. They didn’t stop there. By halftime, Chicago held a slim 10-6 edge, and they cruised into the fourth quarter with a 17-6 advantage. However, the Vikings weren’t ready to roll over. The night took a wild turn as JJ McCarthy, with some serious grit, became the first quarterback since Steve Young in 1985 to win a debut game after trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter.

Then again, McCarthy didn’t just stop at making history. He masterfully led three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, pushing the Vikings to a 27-17 lead with less than three minutes left. Despite Williams’ throwing his first passing touchdown of the Ben Johnson era, it wasn’t enough. The Bears couldn’t hold on, and Ben Johnson ran out of excuses.

Moreover, McCarthy’s adjustments stood out. He cleverly attacked Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme, finishing with 143 yards, three total touchdowns, and just one interception. Williams wasn’t completely off either, managing 21 completions out of 35 attempts for 210 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and adding 58 rushing yards along with a rushing touchdown.

Looking ahead, the Bears now head to Detroit to face the Lions in Week 2. The matchup holds extra meaning for Johnson, who spent the past three seasons as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Interestingly, Detroit also stumbled in Week 1, losing 27-13 to the Packers.