Even before entering the NFL, Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams has been under heavy scrutiny. From an emotional perspective, Williams has been criticized for reacting too emotionally at times. His leadership and maturity on the field have also been brought into question. From a playing perspective, the Bears QB has been picked apart for oftentimes holding onto the football for too long. He has also been accused of playing “hero ball,” in which, instead of making routine plays, he looks for highlight-reel opportunities.
Bears QB is Heavily Criticized by NFL Analyst
Now, NFL Analyst Mark Schlereth is proclaiming that the Bears QB is “not a good quarterback.” Before becoming an NFL Analyst, Schlereth was an offensive guard in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Commanders and then finished out his career with the Denver Broncos. While Schlereth knows a thing or two about the game of football, he certainly rubbed many people the wrong way with his comments about Williams on his “The Stinkin Truth Podcast.”
On his podcast, @markschlereth flat out says “Caleb Williams is not a good quarterback.” Then comps him right now to Kyler Murray. 😳 Thoughts?#DaBears pic.twitter.com/gbWRfVtngM
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) July 2, 2026
Schlereth Calls Bears QB a “Dynamic Playmaker”
Schlereth continued to defend his stance on why he feels that Williams is not a good quarterback.
“My evaluation is watch how many times they get into a late third quarter or fourth quarter and they’re down 21-7. Then he holds the ball, scrambles around, he makes three big throws and all of a sudden they win a game 24-21. That’s not playing quarterback at an efficient level. That’s being a dynamic playmaker.”
What Schlereth is trying to say is that Williams has a lot of maturing to do on the field. As mentioned before, the Bears QB has been accused before of playing “hero ball” whereby he forces himself into a position of having to make a spectacular play. Usually it results in him scrambling and popping off a deep pass to a receiver. Schlereth did not deny Williams athletic ability and several times referred to him as a dynamic playmaker, but ultimately is not the only tangible aspect of what makes up a good quarterback in the NFL.
Schlereth Compares Bears QB to 2024 NFl Draft Class
Schlereth then took things a bit further and actually ranked the quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft, and things looked even more dismal for the Bears QB.
“If you were ranking that class, you’d put Jayden Daniels ahead of him. You’d put Drake Maye ahead of him. I’d put Bo Nix ahead of him.”
What is interesting is that in three years, each of the quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft class have taken their team to either the NFC or AFC Championship. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels took his team in 2024 to the NFC Championship. Denver quarterback Bo Nix took his team to the AFC Championship in 2025 where they played the New England Patriots and Drake Maye, who ended up making it to the Super Bowl. Of course, Williams and the Bears made it to the NFC Championship in 2025.
Each of the QB’s above have done remarkably well in their first few seasons. While Schlereth is entitled to his opinion, the reality is that they have all achieved similar levels of success on the field thus far.
Schlereth Compares Bears QB Williams to Kyler Murray
Lastly, Schlereth took it even a step further by comparing the Bears QB to Kyler Murray, who recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
“When it comes to off-schedule football, the guy is probably about as good as it gets. He and Kyler—he is Kyler Murray with more height.”
That comparison, however, is not entirely fair. While both quarterbacks have a knack for creating explosive plays after a play breaks down, the similarities largely end there. Murray has spent years proving he can operate an NFL offense while maintaining one of the league’s better completion percentages. Williams, meanwhile, is still learning when to take the easy throw instead of chasing the bigger play.
Schlereth’s point is understandable from a stylistic standpoint, but calling Williams “Kyler Murray with more height” oversimplifies two quarterbacks whose strengths, experience, and overall games are more different than alike.
Williams Needs to Prove His Doubters Wrong
Whether Schlereth is eventually proven correct or not will be figured out over the next couple of seasons. However, there is not much to argue about concerning the talent of Williams and whether he can become an elite physical quarterback. The Bears QB will be playing behind a Chicago offense that was built specifically to help unlock that capability under head coach Ben Johnson. Williams needs to become a confident player that fully trusts the offense like he trusts his gut, and his critics might just have to disappear once all is said and done.
Main Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
