When the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, expectations were centered on the team climbing out of a two-year rebuild and into the category of NFC contenders.

The opposite has taken place through an eight-game losing streak that dropped the Bears to 4-10 after an encouraging start to the season. While fellow rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have their teams in line for the playoffs, Williams is left to sort through the internal struggles that come in a losing season.

This is new territory for Williams, who played 37 games between Oklahoma and USC. The Bears' 10 losses in 2024 make up the total the rookie was a part of over three college seasons.

Learning how to not let the losing become all-consuming has been an added challenge, Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports..

"Losing is one of those things that really affects me," Williams said. "It's tough. But I do have the understanding of where I'm at in my career and where I'll be at. Having that [understanding] is important for me, myself internally, because internally it's tough. Internally, when tough times happen, just human nature is to do the opposite of what you're doing or what you've been doing and all these different things. The toughest part is fighting yourself, especially when there's tough times."

During tough stretches, Williams said he writes down specific things he plans to work on in the offseason, a list that currently has "five to eight" items he will focus on at the culmination of his rookie season.

"I would say all from pre-snap stuff to even post-snap, whether it's footwork, whether it's pre-snap and recognizing what they're in, if they rotate to here, how fast can I get to this, how fast can I get to that route, this alert, that alert," he said. "So, I got a good amount of stuff that I'm planning on going over."

The quarterback has also relied on positive self-talk to stave off the discouragement that comes with each loss.

"This is going to sound crazy, but you talk to yourself, to be honest," Williams said. "You motivate yourself, you encourage yourself. You have positive affirmations, is the word, that you say to yourself. With that, it makes the days better, it makes when you're going through a tough patch, it makes those days a little bit easier rather than pulling yourself down, telling yourself you're this and that.

"Like I said, it sounds kind of crazy, but I tell myself certain things: 'I am great. I will be great.' All these different things. So, I think that's one of the biggest things, is not pulling yourself down and being gracious with yourself."

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