Caleb Williams threw a gutsy Bears record TD pass right after taking a dangerous Thanksgiving hit

It was a rough start for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. After a dominant first-half performance from the Detroit Lions — which was summed up perfectly by a Penei Sewell stiff arm — it sure seemed like it’d be one of those afternoons for Chicago.

Considering the circumstances, Williams showed remarkable resilience to start turning the fortunes for his Bears in a key early third-quarter sequence.

As Williams drove the Bears downfield for their first quality possession of the game, he took a nasty hit to his lower back and leg from Jack Campbell on a scramble. Williams appeared to be OK, but it looked a lot worse than at first glance. Williams would also be checked on later in the Bears’ medical tent:

That did not look good for Caleb Williams pic.twitter.com/sC6ycn54Cr

— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 28, 2024

Now, after taking such a hit, you’d probably think Williams would crumble, and the Bears’ drive would peter out. Well, dearest readers, it did not.

Because not soon after, Williams threw a laser to Keenan Allen for the Bears’ first touchdown of the day:

.@CALEBcsw with a strike to @Keenan13Allen for 6

: #CHIvsDET on CBS pic.twitter.com/625EdRwATi

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 28, 2024

Perhaps not by coincidence, this Williams touchdown pass also meant something for Bears history. By notching the 12th touchdown throw of his rookie season, Williams officially surpassed Charlie O’Rourke’s Bears rookie record of 11 touchdowns. I’m aware that is a bar meager for most NFL franchises with a historically more functional offense, but it still stood for over seven decades.

New record pic.twitter.com/6lgj7Eq6Ng

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 28, 2024

For someone who might be Chicago’s first franchise quarterback of the modern era, it means something that Williams was the one to finally break this record. With heroic sequences like this, it’s easy to see why the young Bears quarterback is showing more promise week by week.