Nick Saban cautions Bears coach Matt Eberflus about managing expectations for rookie Caleb Williams
In a preview of HBO’s upcoming season of “Hard Knocks” covering the Chicago Bears, fans were able to witness a private conversation between Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. In the discussion, Saban provided Eberflus with advice on how to handle high expectations surrounding rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
“Here’s my theory on why NFL quarterbacks fail at such a dramatic rate,” Saban said. “To me, expectations are a killer. This kid that you got, this kid’s got so much media, so much hype, so much expectation on doing well, and he has to develop so quickly to meet the expectations that everybody has for him, it’s almost impossible.
“The expectations are a killer. But, yet, to use your word — development is the key for him. Like, Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions when he was a rookie. It’s the most in the history of all. But, it didn’t affect him, just like the scoreboard. The scoreboard don’t mean anything until the game’s over.”
If anybody knows how to maximize a quarterback’s talent, it’s Saban. With products such as Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young under his belt, Saban had no shortage of success producing success behind center during his illustrious 50-year coaching career.
As excellent as so many of Saban’s products were exiting college, none had as high of expectations surrounding them as Williams. In the 2022 campaign, the USC standout threw for 4,537 yards, ran for 382 yards and totaled 50 touchdowns — 40 in the air and 10 on the ground. He was named the Heisman Trophy winner for his efforts.
In 2023, Williams couldn’t replicate his outlandish success but he still was a star on the field. He threw for 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns to go with 11 rushing scores. USC finished the season with a 7-5 record.
Nonetheless, the hype only continued to build for Williams. In turn, the Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, with all eyes on him, Caleb Williams will look to live up to expectations in his debut campaign at the next level.
It won’t be an easy task. The Chicago Bears have not had a winning season since 2018 when they went 12-4 in the regular season before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Last season, the Bears posted a 7-10 record, a significant improvement from the team’s 3-14 mark during their first year under Eberflus in 2022.