Getty
Bears QB Caleb Williams
“This guy’s a young Brett Favre,” Jon Gruden said of Caleb Williams. “Fourth-and-eight, he’s running to his left. He breaks a tackle and throws a bullet. It’s the greatest throw I’ve ever seen.”
That’s not the kind of thing former Super Bowl winning coaches say casually, and it’s definitely not how they usually talk about a quarterback in just his second NFL season.
Gruden’s praise of Williams ahead of the Chicago Bears’ Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t rooted in hype or highlight chasing. It sounded more like something coaches say when they realize a player has crossed a line from intriguing talent to unavoidable reality…
And for the Bears, that realization couldn’t be coming at a bigger moment.
Destiny is waiting
GettyBears QB Caleb Williams
“It’s destiny calling,” Gruden said.
That line resonated because it captured what’s been building around the Chicago Bears all season. Caleb Williams doesn’t just respond to big moments, rather he seems to expect them.
The Bears have now won seven games this season when trailing in the final two minutes, including last week’s 31-27 playoff comeback against Green Bay after falling behind 21-3 at halftime. No team has done that more often in a single season since 1983, postseason included.
After rallying the Bears past the Packers in his playoff debut, Williams didn’t talk about relief or survival.
“True belief,” he said. “Belief. That’s all you need. You got belief in the coaches that they’re gonna call the right play at the right time. You got belief in the players on the field that you’re gonna make the right play at the right time.”
That belief has become the Bears’ defining trait. They don’t panic. They don’t flinch. And in January, that matters. Gruden noticed it not just in Williams, but in the environment forming around him.
“The Chicago Bears fan base has been waiting for this,” Gruden said. “This place is going to go nuts.”
Why the Rams game is a different kind of test
GettyBears QB Caleb Williams
The Rams won’t allow the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams to rely on late heroics alone. Sean McVay’s offense led by MVP favorite Matthew Stafford, forces teams to keep pace, and Chicago knows that falling behind early again could be costly.
Chicago has already proven it can come back. What Sunday night tests is whether Williams can control the game earlier, especially in brutal conditions. Gruden emphasized the environment as much as the opponent.
“It’s going to be hard to throw,” he said. “The wind is blowing off this lake. It’s called Lake freaking Michigan… and you’re standing over there and you’re going, man, I’m a little older than I used to be. And I’m really freaking cold.”
That cold, the wind, and the noise of Soldier Field compress the margins. In those games, quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford who rely on rhythm often struggle while quarterbacks like Caleb Williams who thrive in broken structure can tilt the field.
That contrast may define the night. And it’s why Gruden didn’t hesitate when it came time to pick a winner…
“Bear down,” Gruden said. “Bears are going to win, 20-17.”
Garrett Klaus Garrett Klaus is a NFL contributor at Heavy.com, where he covers the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Carolina Panthers. More about Garrett Klaus
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