NFL legend Kurt Warner clears the air on devalued QB play as Caleb Williams and Bo Nix slip behind Justin Fields in passer rating

Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner has come out to defend passer rating metrics after the latest stats appear to have diminished Caleb Williams’ contribution. NFL insider John Frascella came out to criticize the metric in an X post, decrying Williams’ ranking behind Michael Penix, Kyler Murray, and Justin Fields.

With Warner’s attention called to the criticism, he gave a nuanced analysis of the ratings, maintaining its relevance as a metric to measure quarterback performance. He wrote:

“I think what you are seeing this year is less “great” QB play & more parity, which equals a lot of closer games… and these QBs are playing great when it matters, not great all the time!”

Kurt Warner

@kurt13warner

I think what you are seeing this year is less “great” QB play & more parity which equals a lot of closer games… and these QBs are playing great when it matters, not great all the time! For example Bo & Caleb have made game winning plays in 4th qtr and why their team is

He continued:

“For example, Bo & Caleb have made game-winning plays in the 4th quarter, and why their team is winning… But when you have great QB play like Stafford & Maye, your team wins and looks best team in the league! So yes QB play matters… it always will, but if you’re not playing great, you have to be great in the moments that matter most!”

Caleb Williams’ struggle with his passing is not a secret, with Bears head coach Ben Johnson highlighting it during his Monday press conference. The Bears won their fifth straight game against the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday. But the team depended more on its rushing game to break down the Eagles’ offense.

Ben Johnson’s take on Caleb Williams’ passing struggles

Caleb Williams completed 17 of 36 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against the Eagles. His completion percentage on the night (47.2%) is the second-lowest of his career so far. Meanwhile, he missed the target on 27% of his throws, and he conceded two sacks. Johnson said on Monday:

“Everybody’s got a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up. We’re winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it, and none of us are pleased with it right now.”

However, he clarified his comment on Tuesday, noting that he’s happy with Williams’ gameplay. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the stats don’t look good but disregarded them, focusing on the quarterback’s growth instead. He said:

“I know what the stats say. Throw those out of the window. He’s doing a really good job managing the ballgame. That’s step No. 1 for the quarterback. And so he’s going to continue to get better.”

The Bears face the Green Bay Packers in their next game on Sunday.