The Chicago Bears open the season against the Minnesota Vikings on "Monday Night Football" while the team is under an intense spotlight.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is in his second season after a disappointing rookie campaign, as Chicago paired him with new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams has been at the center of many rumors through his young NFL career, as a new report claims that the quarterback could have a learning disability.
That rumor has now gone viral with fans debating whether it is true, just adding to the noise surrounding Williams as he enters his sophomore season. Here's a breakdown of these rumors surrounding the Bears' franchise quarterback.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Caleb Williams learning disability rumors
NFL reporter Tyler Dunne released a three-part story about Williams' rookie season with the Bears and why it went so poorly in 2024. As part of Dunne's reporting, he found multiple anonymous sources connected to the Bears who claim that there is evidence that Williams has a learning disability.
"There were some major red flags that came up through this that frankly were not discussed at all in draft meetings, whether it's a potential learning disability that coaches got into, that scouts got into," Dunne said on the CHGO Bears podcast.
Tyler Dunne says he believes that #Bears QB Caleb Williams has a learning disability.pic.twitter.com/AOnYKDpW5R
— Pick 6 Pack (@Pick6PackFB) September 5, 2025
Dunne reported that Bears coaches last season were not aware of Williams' issue until late in the season.
"Coaches could sense that he'd struggle with basic huddle calls and forget to motion players," Dunne said. "And it wasn't until later — right around that second-to-last game of the season — that coaches say they learned their quarterback had a learning disability."
MORE: How the Bears are honoring the life of Virginia Halas McCaskey in 2025
Does Caleb Williams have dyslexia?
Dunne reports that many people connected to the Bears believe that Williams has dyslexia, although there is no definitive proof beyond this story. Additionally, Dunne's sources accused Bears general manager Ryan Poles of hiding Williams' dyslexia from the rest of the team.
"Multiple Bears sources tell Go Long they've seen evidence that Williams has dyslexia," Dunne said. "They also believe that the GM, who has access to everything, was well aware of this condition before the Bears made the quarterback their first overall pick."
Dunne's reporting hasn't been confirmed by other insiders or the Bears organization.
MORE: How Caleb Williams' dad played role in attempt to avoid Bears selection
Caleb Williams 2024 stats
Here's a look at Caleb Williams' stats from his rookie season. Given the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick, the season was widely viewed as a disappointment.
- Games: 17
- Record: 5-12
- Completion percentage: 62.5%
- Passing yards: 3,541
- Passing touchdowns: 20
- Interceptions: 6
- Yards/Attempts: 6.3
- Rushing attempts: 81
- Rushing yards: 489
- Rushing touchdowns: 0
MORE: Caleb Williams clears air on controversial pre-draft report