Caleb Williams has been called a lot of things since arriving in Chicago: “franchise savior,” “No. 1 pick,” “the quarterback meant to break the curse.”
But now, midway through a breakout second season, the Bears’ young star has officially been handed a nickname that finally matches the way he plays when everything is on the line.
“Iceman.”
In a feature for FOX NFL Sunday, Williams admitted he’s warming to the nickname (ironic, considering it’s about ice).
“I’m a fan of it,” Williams said. “Ice is still. Ice is calm, but underneath is pure energy. That’s the same mindset I have in those moments.”
Head coach Ben Johnson has said publicly that Williams has “ice in his veins,” and the numbers back it up as Caleb is leading an NFL-best five fourth-quarter comeback wins this season.
The nickname isn’t some cute social media trend. It’s rooted in the cold-blooded production that has become Williams’ calling card.
When trailing this season, Williams has posted:
- 72.3% completion rate
- 1,306 total yards
- 11 total touchdowns
- 2 interceptions
And it’s why Chicago is suddenly leading the NFC North race.
A Mindset Forged Through Struggle
Bears QB Caleb Williams
This season alone, Williams has thrown for 2,568 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, adding 117 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
But Caleb Williams is quick to point out he didn’t arrive here untouched by doubt.
“Everything hasn’t been roses, rainbows and ice cream,” Williams said. “But there isn’t any other place I’d rather be, or anything I’d rather go through, than what I’ve gone through in my career so far.”
His rookie season was brutal: A 5-12 record, a league high 68 sacks, and both the head coach and OC being fired midseason.
But that hardship is part of what drives him now. The Bears are in almost every game late, and Williams has responded with emotion, fire and sheer belief.
“It’s pure heart, pure soul of fire coming out,” he said. “Last year wasn’t what I wanted — lost a lot of games — but when you have that belief, it goes a long way.”
That belief is spreading through the locker room, too. The Bears’ young playmakers, from Odunze to Burden to Colston Loveland, have rallied around Williams as he begins to own the moment at the end of games.
This Is the Quarterback Chicago Has Searched For
GettyBears QB Caleb Williams
Now Caleb Williams hasn’t fixed everything in Chicago, at least not yet. The Bears have a brutal schedule ahead in a brutal division, so the Bears will have to find a way to finish the season the way they’re finishing fourth quarters.
But for the first time in years (maybe ever), the Bears walk into every game knowing the most important position on the field is one they finally don’t have to worry about.
And Caleb Williams knows exactly what he wants next: “I want to show Chicago that I’m the one to be here, be a part of changing, be a part of history, have a legacy here,” he said.
Cause every comeback, every late-game drive, every calm throw under pressure is building something bigger than hype. And Chicago knows exactly what it has now…
Iceman.
Caleb Williams Handed Bears’ Nickname That Says It All