Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made waves earlier this week at the NFL Combine when he spoke with the media and stated quarterbacks are either like surgeons or artists while playing the position. It turns out presumed No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams heard those remarks and gave an interesting answer for which type of quarterback he sees himself as.
Williams met with the media on Friday morning at the combine and answered a variety of questions, from his medicals to his desire to win. He was asked by CHGO’s Greg Braggs Jr. about the artist vs. surgeon comparison and explained that there are times when he needs to be both.
“I’ve actually heard that about the artist or surgeon thing,” he said with a smile. “I like to think that when it’s time to be surgical, it’s time to be surgical. There’s been many games where it gets late in the game and I’ve ran or scrambled and threw a crazy pass. That’s being the artist, the magician. And there’s been times where even I hurt my hamstring and couldn’t run, I sat in the pocket the whole time the rest of the game and delivered the ball.”
Caleb Williams: Artist or surgeon? pic.twitter.com/IQ3JZpTQgh
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) March 1, 2024
Watching Williams during his time at USC, it was clear he was both an artist and a surgeon at the quarterback position. He was deadly from the pocket, using his quick release and pinpoint accuracy to fire the ball into tight windows to move the chains. But he was also excellent when having to go off-script. Williams isn’t the fastest quarterback out there, but he knows how to buy time, evade pressure, and tuck and run when needed. Both qualities are essential for a quarterback in today’s game, and the Bears could use someone like that as their next quarterback, assuming they’re prepared to move on from Justin Fields.
The Bears have already met with Williams, and he liked what he heard from Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. “They were awesome,” Williams said. Time will tell if he’s their next quarterback who can dissect opposing defenses and make magic happen.
