Caleb Williams delivered a jawdropping moment for Chicago Bears fans on Sunday afternoon while facing off with the Minnesota Vikings.
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The first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft dropped back on second-and-12 from the Vikings' 41-yard line. He had to immediately scramble to the right as defender Andrew Van Ginkel rushed off the edge unblocked. Williams evaded the sack, raced to the sideline, jumped in the air, and launched the ball down the right sideline.
At first, it appeared that the throw would go out of bounds. However, D'Andre Swift was wide open between two defensive backs. He tracked the ball down and caught it before safety Harrison Smith pushed him out of bounds. Swift gained 30 yards while NFL fans headed to social media to praise Williams.
This throw by Caleb Williams 🔥
📺: #MINvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/bdDgz6r0Bx— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
"He's the best QB in his class and it's not close," one person posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Several others weighed in and said that the jump pass was "elite." Some users also highlighted Williams' pocket awareness and his ability to avoid Van Ginkel at a pivotal point of the drive.
This play resulted in a huge gain. It also set up the first score of the day. The Bears capitalized as Roschon Johnson rushed for a touchdown to give Chicago an early lead over the NFC North rival.
"All he needs is consistency, he can make any throw on the field," another social media user posted. Another person agreed, writing, "Caleb Williams looks incredible at times."
To that point, the 2024 season has featured some big moments from Williams. It has also featured some struggles as the Bears have started 4-6.
The rookie campaign started quietly with a game against the Titans in which Williams threw for a mere 93 yards. The Bears still won due to multiple turnovers from Titans quarterback Will Levis.
The season continued with a loss to the Texans in Week 2 and then a loss to the Colts in Week 3, a game in which Williams threw his first NFL touchdown.
While the Bears won three straight games early in the season, the offense still struggled with consistency. For example, Williams has not thrown a touchdown since an Oct. 13 game against the Jaguars.
A loss to the Patriots in which the Bears gave up nine sacks was a low point. This led to the team firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and replacing him with Thomas Brown.
