THE APEX TIMES
Caleb Williams turns sack reduction and efficiency into a new Bears standard
Chicago says its quarterback’s pass completion rise is coming alongside one of the biggest sack-percentage improvements by any NFL passer since the AFL-NFL merger.
Caleb Williams has reached the statistical goal he set entering the season, cutting his sack burden while boosting his passing efficiency for the second straight year, the Chicago Bears said Monday.
After being sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie in 2024, Williams entered 2025 focused on lowering that total. The Bears report that he started all 17 games again, taking 24 sacks, and that his sack-rate improvement from 10.8 percent in 2024 to 4.1 percent in 2025 was the largest one-year jump from one season to the next by any quarterback since at least the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
On completion percentage, the Bears say the 2024 No. 1 overall pick has taken another step. They report he wanted to raise his 58.1 completion percentage from 2024, and that through three starts this year he led the NFL with a 72.5 completion percentage.
In the Bears’ 31-23 win in Atlanta, Chicago credited Williams’ accuracy and quick decision-making for its offensive output. The team reported he completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.2 passer rating, finishing with an 83.3 completion percentage that the Bears said was the highest in franchise history for a quarterback with at least 30 attempts.
The Bears also tied the efficiency to clean-pocket passing and after-catch spacing. They cited Next Gen Stats saying Williams completed 24 of 24 passes from a clean pocket in that game, the most attempts without an incompletion from a clean pocket by an NFL quarterback since at least 2018.
Chicago pointed to specific offensive contributors in Atlanta. It said Luther Burden III led the team with eight catches for 95 yards, and that tight end Colston Loveland matched a season high with six receptions, including a 14-yard touchdown on the Bears’ opening possession.
Why It Matters
- A lower sack rate can preserve a quarterback’s rhythm and timing, which the Bears’ own framing links to the efficiency improvements they’re highlighting.
- Leading the league in completion percentage through early starts places Williams’ passing at the center of Chicago’s weekly offensive execution.
- Bears efficiency also depends on what routes and catch opportunities the passing game creates, with the team specifically pointing to Burden III and Colston Loveland in its Atlanta performance.
Key Facts
- Williams was sacked 68 times as a rookie in 2024, according to the Bears.
- In 2025, Williams started all 17 games and was sacked 24 times, after aiming to reduce his sack total.
- The Bears report Williams improved his sack percentage from 10.8 in 2024 to 4.1 in 2025, the largest one-season improvement by any quarterback since at least the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
- The Bears say Williams wanted to raise his 2024 completion percentage (58.1), and they report he led the NFL with 72.5 completion percentage through three starts this year.
- In Atlanta’s 31-23 win, the Bears report Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.2 passer rating.
- The Bears report Williams’ 83.3 completion percentage in that game was the highest in Bears history among quarterbacks with at least 30 attempts.
- The Bears cite Next Gen Stats saying Williams went 24-for-24 from a clean pocket in that Atlanta game.