NFL
Caleb Williams wins battle of No. 1s as Chicago Bears shine in London
The rookie quarterback threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns while adding 56 yards on the ground against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London played hosted to a meeting of two No. 1 overall draft picks on Sunday. Caleb Williams’ Chicago Bears took on Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars, with the Bears coming out on top.
The Bears beat the Jaguars 35-16 in North London, Williams throwing 226 yards for four touchdown passes and one interception. Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, twice found tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Williams also posed a threat on the ground, rushing four times for 56 yards.
The rookie’s work was supported by a ground attack led by D’Andre Swift, who recorded 91 yards and a touchdown. The running back was also key in the aerial game with a 100% catching record (4/4) for 28 total yards.
How many NFL touchdowns has Caleb Williams scored?
Since winning the Heisman Trophy in 2022, Caleb Williams has been tipped for greatness in the NFL. The Bears traded the previous year’s first overall draft pick to acquire the pick used to take Williams in 2024.
This year the Bears got off to a slightly shaky 1-2 start with the rookie at QB but Williams has grown in stature in recent weeks. He led the team to wins over the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns in the latter.
Sunday’s outing in London saw Williams’ performance go to the next level, with four touchdowns and a 79.3% pass completion, both season highs for the 22-year-old. That performance against the Jags takes his tally to nine touchdowns thrown in his short NFL career.
If Williams continues at this current rate he is on track to end the regular season with 26 touchdown passes. The NFL record for a rookie is held by Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, who threw 31 touchdowns in 2020.