Silvy: Why can’t the Bears protect Caleb Williams? Ryan Poles can’t build a line

This is not how you break the cycle. It’s exactly how you break another quarterback.

Ryan Poles’ playbook for developing his own QB sounded great but thus far it has been all sizzle and no steak. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

As Bears fans, we all agree that our favorite team has stumbled mightily with finding a franchise quarterback. The debate begins as to why each guy failed. Poor scouting in selecting the wrong guy? Improper development? Lack of weapons? Not the right coach/offensive coordinator? Poor work ethic?

Before we go any further, let me reiterate what I’ve been saying: I believe the Bears have the most skilled quarterback they’ve ever had in Caleb Williams. He’s a true franchise quarterback and his makeup is everything you want in an NFL player. Two games have not shaken my stance on that in the least. If the Bears protect their asset, he will deliver tenfold.

And therein lies the problem. While Poles has built a pretty good team in three short offseasons, he has neglected to protect Williams with even a mediocre offensive line. This unit ranks up there with the worst in Bears history. It’s been patch-worked together and lacks foundation pieces that can grow with the team going forward.

Nate Davis doesn’t want to practice and it shows in his play. He will go down in Bears history as one of the worst free-agent signings.

Coleman Shelton is Lucas Patrick 2.0.

Poles simply ran back his old plan, signing a cheap lowly-rated journeyman center with no future because of Shelton’s familiarity with the offensive coaches. You get what you pay for.

Through two games, Braxton Jones ranks last among 64 NFL tackles in pass block win rate. Jones has lost 16 pass block reps, four more than ANY player. He’s being asked to protect your rookie’s blindside?!

Of 155 offensive linemen, Darnell Wright ranked 146th in his Pro Football Focus grade for Week 2. He’s supposed to be a stud.

Tevin Jenkins, probably the lineman we like most as fans, hasn’t come close to playing up to the standard that will earn him a contract extension.

Together, all five take turns getting Williams bruised and battered while leading the way for an even more inept run game. The sum of the parts is even more subpar than the individual grades.

[ Bears Insider Podcast Episode 365: Bears offensive line struggles in loss to Houston Texans ]

Back to breaking the cycle. …

While Poles hasn’t lived through this like us, he knows one of the main reasons the Bears have never had a superstar QB is because the franchise has had a hand in stunting each prospects growth.

In Jay Cutler’s final year with the Broncos, Cutler was sacked just 11 times in 16 games. It’s no wonder he threw for 4,500 yards and made the Pro Bowl. In his first two years with the Bears, Cutler was sacked a whopping 87 times including a game against the Giants where he was taken down nine times in just a half. It’s not how to protect the most important position in sports and yet there are still some who stupidly question Cutler’s toughness.

In Justin Fields’ first start as a rookie, Matt Nagy’s awful game plan allowed Fields to be sacked nine times in Cleveland. The day ended with Fields set up to fail and a 6-for-20 stat line for 68 yards, and bad habits were nearly impossible to avoid.

Knowing this, the Bears somehow, someway, allowed Williams to be sacked seven times against the Texans. Even worse, he was pressured on 36 of 48 drop backs. This is exactly the kind of cycle Poles promised the Bears would avoid, yet it only took two games to get here.

As I’ve explained before, both Poles and assistant GM Ian Cunningham are former offensive lineman and in three offseasons, they have exactly one certain starter on the line for 2025 (Wright) and he’s underachieving. Four-fifths of the line may have to be replaced.

No, the season isn’t over. The Bears only lost Sunday by six points, and the next five games are all winnable. But if the Bears truly want to get to a place where they’re a contender, they must get a victory on developing their quarterback. That’s the most important thing this year.

The road to acquiring Caleb Williams began with the Texans stunning the Colts in Indy to end the 2022 season. The road for the Bears to develop Williams must begin after facing the Texans and with this game in Indy. It all comes full circle and the cycle must finally be broken.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.