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The Chicago Bears thought they drafted a savior. What they got instead, according to 30 former coaches who spoke to Ty Dunne of Go Long, was dysfunction wrapped in Gucci. In House of Dysfunction, a three part series, Dunne writes that Caleb Williams, the Bears No. 1 overall pick, quickly became the poster boy for everything wrong in the NIL and transfer portal era – entitled, coddled, and unprepared for the NFL crucible.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts represents the exact opposite: accountability, leadership, discipline, and championship DNA. If you bleed green, now’s the time to recognize just how lucky you are.

The Poster Boy for NIL’s Dark Side

In Dunne’s reporting, one coach didn’t mince words:

“This coach dubs Williams the poster boy for everything wrong in today’s NIL world.” (Go Long)

Another added:

“Coaches know if they criticize one of their 5-stars  or, God forbid, bench him they run the risk of that 5-star transferring. In the NFL, there is no escape hatch. No cakewalk games. Hardship is a guarantee.”  (Go Long)

The Bears discovered quickly that their hand-picked franchise quarterback had never been forced to fight through adversity, until it was too late.

Work Ethic?

The indictments piled up behind closed doors. According to Go Long, Williams rarely turned on the team-issued tablets, something the Bears could track. He skipped optional but vital pass-protection meetings with centers. He blew off lifting sessions. He was given weekly blitz tapes spliced by O-line coach Chris Morgan and QB coach Kerry Joseph – seven hours of prep work and didn’t watch them.

Instead? Word leaked that Williams was spending his downtime on Call of Duty marathons.

One coach summed it up:

“There are grown-man responsibilities. You expect him to put the work in… If you can’t sacrifice? There’s no substitute for the work. That’s something he needs to learn.”  (Go Long)

We Talkin’ About Practice?

Apparently Williams’ contribution to practices made Allen Iverson look like Tom Brady back in the PCOM days.  Preparation failures bled into the field. Dunne reports that on the night before Chicago’s rematch with Detroit, Williams botched four of the first eight play calls in a simple hotel walkthrough – wrong formations, missed motions, busted shifts.

Fridays, which around the NFL are pristine dress rehearsals, were instead described as:

“the worst Friday practices in the history of the NFL every Friday.” (Go Long)

By Saturday, as the offense reviewed call sheets, coaches noticed Williams wasn’t even locked in – head down, distracted.

And on game days? Coaches said Williams struggled just to spit out plays. Dunne writes that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron would send plays in early, but Williams would stand in the huddle staring at his wristband for five or six extra seconds, making teammates think the OC was dragging. It created division and finger-pointing inside the locker room.

Backyard Football Gone Wrong

Even Williams’ highlight plays raised red flags.

“You’re making miraculous plays,” one coach told Dunne, “but it’s unnecessary because you skipped three reads and had to spin around in a circle twice and juke some cat who you’re better than and you made a miraculous throw. That’s phenomenal. But in this league more times than not you’re going to get body-slammed. You’re not going to juke that dude who plays defensive end. He’s bigger, faster, stronger than you and doesn’t care about you being Caleb Williams.” (Go Long)

Eventually, the Bears had to dumb down the offense with limited audibles, fewer motions, and basic formations because, as one coach told Dunne:

“Caleb didn’t want to do it. Or couldn’t do it.” (Go Long)

Entitlement, Image, and the Cover-up

Williams’ orbit told its own story. Go Long revealed that Chicago not only drafted Williams, but also gave his best friend John Jackson III, a walk-on wideout at USC with five career catches, a practice squad spot. How’d that happen?  One coach sneered:

“That’s a good question for John Jackson The Third.” (Go Long)

All while Williams leaned into celebrity:

“Williams walks down fashion runways, attends Louis Vuitton shows and poses in a slew of different outfits for an Esquire photoshoot. He paints his nails. He was voted GQ’s most stylish athlete.” (Go Long)

Winning makes eccentricities charming. Losing turns them toxic. One Bears coach warned Dunne:

“Lose games, and… this fashionista side could become a point of contention and distraction.” (Go Long)

Coach Killer

Perhaps the sharpest indictment came late in the season, when interim coach Thomas Brown tried to hold Williams accountable. While the national narrative was that Williams was “overcoming” bad coaching, insiders told Dunne the opposite.

One offensive assistant said flatly:

“He’s always blaming everybody …this dude’s a coach killer man. I know how he treated other people, and that’s what makes me sick.” (Go Long)