Caleb Williams vs. Justin Fields stats: Bears rookie compared to Steelers QB after rocky start in Chicago

The start of the Caleb Williams era in Chicago did not go as expected.

At the start of the 2024 NFL season, there was a lot of hype surrounding this spring’s first-round pick. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was considered a generational talent at the most important position in football after a stellar career at USC, but so far that hasn’t translated to the NFL.

Williams got his first primetime action on Sunday night when he faced CJ Stroud and the Texans in Houston. The result was a 19-13 victory for the AFC South club that handed Williams and Co. their first loss of the season. The Bears quarterback was intercepted twice, sacked seven times and failed to reach the end zone.

It is still Away It’s too early to write off Williams, who has struggled in his first two stints as a professional football player. He has yet to score a touchdown and has thrown four interceptions, but that’s just two games.

However, if Chicago fans are experiencing déjà vu with their rookie QB, that notion wouldn’t be far-fetched. Williams’ start to his tenure with the Bears feels very similar to what fans experienced in 2021 when Justin Fields began his NFL career. The former Bears member was traded to the Steelers in the offseason, paving the way for Williams to become the clear QB1 in the Windy City.

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Here’s a look at the beginning of Williams’ career with the Bears compared to Fields.

Statistics on Caleb Williams vs. Justin Fields after the first two Bears games

It is still too early to make a final judgment in the Williams era – but after the first two games, his statistics look like a story that has already been written in Chicago history.

When comparing Williams’ stats from his first two games in the NFL to Fields’, there are some similarities. Neither scored a touchdown in the two games early in their careers, nor were they able to reach 300 passing yards. Their completion percentages are both around .500, and interceptions have been a problem.

Not only are their individual stats incredibly similar, but both teams tied 1-1 in their first two games against Chicago and were saved by defense and special teams in the wins.

In Week 1 this season, the Bears beat the Titans 24-17, featuring a pick-six, a blocked punt returned for a TD and three field goals by Cairo Santos. In Fields’ first professional win, the Chicago defense managed a pick-six and Santos made two field goals, while Fields’ backup Andy Dalton scored the only offensive score in the 20-17 victory over the Bengals.

Furthermore, their performances during the losses garnered the exact same reaction from both quarterbacks – even though they played in the exact same uniforms.

Justin Fields and Caleb Williams react side by side on the sideline. As my earlier tweet said of Caleb on the sideline. Seen his reaction before. Same uniforms pic.twitter.com/e5sHxRpA15

— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) 16 September 2024

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Here’s a comparison of Fields and Williams’ stats from their first two NFL games.

Statistics for Caleb Williams vs. Justin Fields 2024

As mentioned, Fields was traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, seemingly paving the way for Williams to become the starter in Chicago.

The mobile quarterback was not expected to be the starter for the Steelers in 2024. After a tough battle with veteran Russell Wilson during training camp and preseason, head coach Mike Tomlin named the former Seahawks and Broncos signal caller the leader of the offense.

However, a calf injury sidelined Wilson to begin the season, and Fields has made the most of his opportunity as a starter. He hasn’t played particularly well so far, but he’s done just enough to keep the Steelers in the game in both games, which led to victories over the Falcons and Broncos thanks to Pittsburgh’s stellar defense.

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Here is a comparison of Fields and Williams’ stats in their first two games of 2024.