Steelers' pass rush prepares to bring down 'magician' Bears QB Caleb Williams

The reviews are in. That hot new illusionist? He’s captivating the country.

“He’s been a magician,” Cameron Heyward said.

“This guy,” added Teryl Austin, “is an escape artist,”

And after recent tour stops in locales such Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Baltimore, this magic man is back home for the next show at his Chicago-based residency.

“He’s someone who can escape from anything,” edge rusher Alex Highsmith said of Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears quarterback who’s made a name for himself in large part because of his wizard-like ability to shrug off danger and make plays.

Williams might not be finding his way out of a locked safe on stage while wearing a straight jacket. But his propensity for emerging from seemingly-certain sacks and waves of incoming pressure from opposing pass rushers is making him the kind of showstopper not seen since the likes of Harry Houdini.

“I’m just really impressed with… his ability to extend, his ability to see the full field while doing so (and) minimizing negativity,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Williams on Tuesday in advance of Sunday’s upcoming meeting with him and the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. “The creativity associated with his escapability and play extension is really challenging.”

108 seconds of Caleb Williams avoiding sacks pic.twitter.com/pSj4ZyiwU0

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 18, 2025

Williams has been sacked just 16 times in 10 games so far this season, his 4.69% sack rate seventh-best among NFL starting quarterbacks and a far cry from the 10.79% sack rate as a rookie that ranked 37th among 39 qualifying league quarterbacks in 2024.

Williams has been avoiding sacks, in large part, by running out of them — escaping them, if you will. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Williams’ average time from snap to throw of 3.29 seconds in 2025 is by far the longest in the NFL this season and the longest recorded by any quarterback over a full season in the past decade (since Next Gen began measuring such things in 2016).

Typically, holding onto the ball that long equates to a heightened sack total for the opponent. Not so, though, for Williams in 2025.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Highsmith said. “It’s probably, from what we’ve seen, the best escapability in the league. He’s out there making a lot of plays from his escapability, his extended-play ability.

“At that end of the day, we’ve got to get to him. But a lot of it is getting them down on the ground.”

The Steelers are so concerned about Williams’ unique talents in avoiding sacks that they signed a former college QB-turned-pro-wide-receiver in John Rhys Plumlee to mimic Williams during practice this week.

Williams has scrambled on 22.3% of his dropbacks this season, the second-highest rate among qualified quarterbacks (per Next Gen). Williams’ 265 rushing yards on scrambles is fifth-most in the league, his rushing touchdowns on scrambles tied for the most.

“He’s a guy who knows how to use his legs to get those yards and extend plays,” defensive tackle Keeanu Benton said. “We’ve got to find a way to keep him in that ‘QB trap’ as a defensive line.”

The Steelers have generally avoided going up against running quarterbacks this season, with the New York Jets’ Justin Fields (48 rushing yards, two touchdowns in Week 1) and New England Patriots’ Drake Maye (45 rushing yards in Week 3) the exceptions.

Williams is a good test in that area because the Steelers’ next two games are against arguably the two premier running quarterbacks in the NFL — the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen (Nov. 30) and Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (Dec. 7).

Each is probably a better “runner” than Williams. But Jackson gets sacked on a league-most 11.79% of his dropbacks and Allen on a near league-average 6.56%.

Neither works his magic in getting out of the pocket and making plays as well as Williams has.

Now you see him — now you don’t.

“His escapability,” said Heyward of Williams, “is second to none. He does a great job of really moving around the pocket, buying extra time.

“This guy is very electric with a ball in his hand. So, we’ve got to make sure we’re throwing a lot of darts at them getting multiple hats to the ball.”