Their concerns weren't unfounded. Both head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were fired during the regular season, and even Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted this offseason that "steps were skipped" in preparing Williams for his rookie season.

The 23-year-old signal-caller ranked third among rookie QBs, behind Denver’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Jayden Daniels, in passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20), and he was tied for the third-fewest interceptions (six) of any QB with 20 or more touchdowns.