Quarterback Caleb Williams emerged in 2025 as a superhero of sorts for the Chicago Bears, leading six fourth-quarter comebacks in the regular season.
His legend grew with another comeback over the rival Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, followed by a miraculous touchdown late to force an ill-fated overtime against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
Regardless, Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett believes Williams' third season should be about occasionally taking off the cape.
Barrett recently said he wants Williams to "do less," per the .
As an explanation, Barrett added: "We don't have to work as hard for our money. There's times where we could just work through our progression and get the ball out on time instead of having to create and extend plays."
While the Bears' first playoff berth since 2020 banked on Williams doing the impossible late in games, often buying time this way and that before uncorking unthinkable completions in crunch time, the necessity to do so was caused by inefficiency early in games.
For all his jaw-dropping throws, Williams too often missed, didn't see or didn't take the easy ones.
His completion percentage during his first year under head coach Ben Johnson actually dropped from 62.5 as a rookie to 58.1, above only the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy and 6.2 off the league average. His -6.9 completion percentage over expected was the worst in the league among players who attempted at least 200 passes, 1.7 worse than McCarthy, who was the only other such QB to break -4%. Williams' time to throw was 3.20, eclipsed only by the Cleveland Browns' Shedeur Sanders.
There were extenuating circumstances at times -- Chicago notably tied for the fourth-highest drop percentage at 5.1 -- but Barrett noted Williams could save energy by simply forgoing some of his wilder plays in favor of hitting open pass catchers underneath.
Doing so would allow Williams' completion percentage to climb and keep the offense moving through all four frames.
"Late in some of those games, we were making some heroic plays ... but it wasn't necessary if we execute in the first quarter and second quarter," Barrett said. "We might be up two touchdowns by the time we get to the fourth quarter.
"We can be efficient and take what the defense is giving. You don't necessarily have to put the cape on and make those crazy plays because you already were killing them in the first three quarters."
Williams making the leap in consistency is the next crucial step to the Bears sustaining the success from their 11-6 run to the top of the NFC North.
No matter how much he owned the fourth quarter in 2025, wins will only come consistently on a year-to-year basis by diminishing the frequency of the need for late-game heroics.
If Williams can do that, the league would be in trouble.
