NFL Coach Concerned with Caleb Williams Adjusting to Pro Locker Room After USC Career

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVApril 23, 2024

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USC quarterback Caleb Williams could face a major adjustment period in the NFL in more ways than one in the eyes of one quarterbacks coach.

The QB coach told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman that Williams “has a lot of stuff that he is going to have to break in the NFL,” which goes beyond his play on the field.

“I like Caleb as a player, but the locker room part of it concerns me,” the coach said. “I don’t know him from a can of paint, but what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen from watching interviews, he’s going to have to understand the difference in where he’s at and how he’s been treated to being the quarterback in an NFL locker room.”

Feldman also cited an offensive assistant who said Williams “gives off a Russell Wilson vibe with this lack of self-awareness.”

Wilson was cited as an example by the quarterbacks coach as well:

“Nobody is saying straight-up negative things (about Williams). You kinda have to decode the compliments and there is enough you see that concerns you. After the game, everybody else is shaking hands and you’re seated on the bench by yourself. You can be a superstar player on a team and have all your side stuff, and then you’re going down that Russell Wilson path, where you’re gonna have your own team and your own this and that. I just hear there’s a lot going on.”It’s worth noting both the QB coach and offensive assistant seem to be basing their opinions solely on what they’ve heard and not on any direct interactions they’ve had with Williams.

And for as much as the narrative has turned against Wilson, we’re talking about a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion who could’ve very easily won another title. If you were assured of Williams having a similar career, would you hesitate to take him first overall?

The extent to which Williams’ personality and the aura around him set him apart might be exaggerated, too. One scout told Feldman the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner “really is one of the first quarterbacks to deal with as much celebrity and NIL as he has,” as if QBs who excelled in college during previous generations weren’t also massive celebrities who had an eye on their commercial potential.

There are genuine reasons to question whether Williams can become an elite quarterback in the NFL. In particular, his desire to extend plays can get him into trouble and will cause even more problems when he has less time in the pocket.

But attempting to play armchair psychologist and making judgments about the 22-year-old’s demeanor from afar may not provide much insight.