Caleb Williams reveals how he shed weight this offseason, and why that matters
Version 3.0 of Caleb Williams is lighter, and Chicago Bears hope he's running faster than ever.
The quarterback is fresh off his breakout season, leading the Bears to an 11-win season and some absolutely thrilling victories, but this was no offseason to celebrate with deep-dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches. Williams spoke to the media Wednesday and indicated that he changed some habits and has lost "10 to 15 pounds" from last season to the start of training camp.
"I'm excited about that," Williams said. "Being able to move a little better, be smoother."
Among Williams' offseason habit changes:
Figuring out how and when to train.
Eating better and more consistently.
Not eating after 7 p.m.
Better focus on rest and sleep.
Those all appear to be good choices. They might not be Tom Brady levels of self-restraint, but it's hard to be anything but complimentary of Williams' lifestyle choices.
Williams said he believes it will fold right in with his work at the team facility with the Bears' strength and conditioning staff. Williams was already among the faster quarterbacks in the league, registering five runs of 20-plus mph last season — including 21.01 mph against the Niners in Week 17, which was the fastest recorded speed by a QB during the 2025 season, according to NFL's NextGen Stats.
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For those charting at home, Williams was in the 215-pound range at USC, weighing in at 214 at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine and 217 at USC's pro day a few weeks later. The Bears listed Williams at 215 pounds as a rookie, but that number beefed up to 226 prior to the 2025 season.
The pros and cons of Caleb Williams shedding weight
After a rookie season in which he was sacked a league-worst 68 times, Williams may have sought to add weight to help protect his body. But last season, Williams was sacked only 25 times in 18 games (counting playoffs). Perhaps there's an inherent trust in the Bears' offensive line baked in now that compelled Williams to shave the extra weight off. (For what it's worth, the Bears' official roster still lists him at 226.)
Williams' game is about buying as much time as possible to work his magic. He was among the league leaders in time to throw, routinely taking more than three seconds to deliver the ball on average — and some of Williams' most memorable plays of last season went well beyond that. It's a fearful thought for defenders who are chasing him all season.
Then again, just last season, Bears head coach Ben Johnson also credited Williams' bulldog-like build and his ability to break out of sack attempts because of his excellent core and lower-body strength. "I think that's why it is very difficult to bring him down in the pocket," Johnson said, via the Chicago Sun Times. "You see all of these guys that feel like they have him dead to rights [yet] he finds a way to escape.
"It's not just his quickness, but also his strength as well." Williams also was hit more times (41) last regular season on non-sack plays, according to Pro Football Reference, than he was during his rookie season (40). In two playoff games, Williams was hit 13 more times.
Overall, though, it's tough to see this as a negative. Williams is saying and doing all the things you'd hope for in a third-year quarterback whose arrow appears to be pointing way up. If he takes another step in his game this season — credited to the weight loss or not — it will be considered another huge success.
The Iceman may have melted away a few pounds, but Bears fans expect Williams to be as cold as ever in 2026.
