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3 Bears Who Could Be Benched in Second Half of Season

The Chicago Bears are currently in the middle of a slump. If these three players don't step up soon, they might end up riding the bench down the stretch.

By Devon Platana

Chicago Bears tight end Gerald Everett (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Chicago Bears tight end Gerald Everett (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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3. Caleb Williams, QB

The Bears finally landed their franchise quarterback when they selected Caleb Williams first overall at the 2024 NFL draft. The promising signal-caller displayed a ton of potential during his time at USC and the Chicago fanbase couldn't see what sort of impact he'd make in Year 1.

Williams' performance so far has been a mixed bag. In nine starts, he's completed 60.5% of passes for 1,785 passing yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions, and an 81.0 passer rating. He's also been sacked an NFL-worst 38 times, which is due to a combination of poor decision-making and lackluster offensive line play.

With Williams' play trending in the wrong direction lately, the Bears could be considering a change under center. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Nov. 11 that Chicago has considered benching the 22-year-old gunslinger in favor of backup QB Tyler Bagent. One day later, Bears insider Marc Silverman alluded that various veteran players have also asked the coaching staff to give Bagent a chance.

There's no denying that Williams is still the Bears' future face of the franchise. At the same time, there's no sense in continuing to send him out there during a losing season if he isn't ready to be a full-time QB1. Forcing him to play if he isn't ready could be detrimental to his development and the last thing Chicago needs is to start over from square one again.

If it means ensuring that he enters Year 2 better than ever, don't be surprised if the Bears bench Williams in the coming weeks.

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