NFL analyst says it’s unfair to expect CJ Stroud to leave Caleb Williams

In recent years, there has never been more anticipation and hype surrounding a rookie QB than there is for Caleb Williams. The Bears player was drafted first overall this season and has already broken the record for jersey sales for a rookie. Expectations are high for the QB, with many hoping for a CJ Stroud-esque rookie season for him.

However, NFL analyst David Helman believes the request is unfair.

What made CJ Stroud’s exploits last season impressive was his unpredictability. Stroud wasn’t the first overall pick in the draft. Plus, he joined a Texans team with a depleted roster and a coaching staff full of newcomers. Coming to a Texans team as a rookie and having a season with 4,108 yards passing and 23 TDs is phenomenal.

So when host Emmanuel Echo of “Speak Live!” asked David Helman if it was fair to expect Caleb to have a rookie season similar to C.J. Stroud’s, the analyst immediately dismissed the idea and called the expectations “unfair.”

He explained that what Stroud did in his rookie season was an exception and that if every first-round draft pick is expected to have a Stroud-level rookie season, then it “degrades” the quality of the league. Helman ended his argument by reiterating that “the NFL is a tough league” and that it’s unfair “to expect Caleb Williams to have a C.J. Stroud-type season.”

While the analyst may be right, the hype surrounding Caleb Williams is such that it’s natural for fans to expect a breakout season from him. However, recent developments surrounding Caleb suggest that in addition to the QB turning out to be a flop, Bears fans now have an additional reason to be concerned.

Isn’t Caleb Williams a loyalist?

The Franchise Tag is a useful tool for NFL teams to secure their impending free agent for an additional year. The tag is normally used for key players when teams cannot meet extension requests due to salary cap issues. It is a one-year extension, but at a rate agreed upon between the parties.

While it is a favorable tool for teams, players are not big fans of the tag because they have to wait a year or two before getting the extension they want. Therefore, most players who accept a franchise tag are team loyalists.

However, the latest reports suggest that Caleb Williams has requested a no-franchise clause in his rookie contract with the Bears. But as Mike Florio reported, Chicago immediately rejected the request.

When the news broke, some fans were disheartened as they felt that Caleb had already started thinking about money rather than focusing on a long-term future with the Bears.