Bears No. 1 picks Williams as ‘natural’ at QB, Shanahan says originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming Note: Watch Kyle Shanahan’s full “49ers Game Plan” interview with Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area at 11 p.m. PT immediately following “Dubs Talk Live.”
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was the Overall Photo #1k in the 2024 NFL Draft for several reasons – and coach Kyle Shanahan is well aware of that.
Ahead of The San Francisco game With Chicago on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, Shanahan detailed the uniqueness of Williams’ game in an interview with Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan.”
And of course, Shanahan started with Williams’ throwing abilities.
“He’s as natural as they come,” Shanahan told Papa. “I mean, how balanced he is. It doesn’t need space to get started.
“He can create any angle he needs. He has the talent. He looks like the first pick in the draft. He’s playing better this year.
The 23-year-old quarterback has totaled 2,612 yards and 14 touchdowns with five interceptions.
Yet despite Williams’ obvious talent, the Bears failed to hold up their end of the bargain, going 4-8 heading into Week 14.
Even so, Shanahan acknowledges there is still plenty of upside for the Bears under Williams.
“They take a lot of bags, but they don’t return them, so there’s good and bad for them,” Shanahan added.
“One of the things he does even if they make big plays. I think they’re top five in explosives. When you’re top five in explosives and you’re not turning them over and your defense is top five and you’re getting turnovers, just those things. If you told me these things, I’d say they’re 8-2.
Although the Bears have had numerous issues this season that led to the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus and a losing record, Williams is not one of them.
“They’re close and I think they’ve improved over the last three weeks,” Shanahan concluded.
“He can make some plays with his legs. It can be confusing. He has all the tools to be a serious threat, and he has demonstrated it throughout this year. But he’s been inconsistent and we need to make sure everything doesn’t go as planned for him on Sunday.
