When the Chicago Bears took Caleb Williams with the first pick, everyone was talking about his arm. The "Mahomes-esque" off-platform throws. The flick-of-the-wrist deep balls. But if you actually look at the caleb williams stats rushing over his first two seasons in the NFL, you'll see a player whose legs are doing way more heavy lifting than the highlight reels suggest. He isn't Lamar Jackson. He isn't trying to be.
Honestly, the way he runs is almost more about survival than it is about being a "dual-threat" quarterback in the traditional sense.
In 2024, his rookie year, Caleb put up some pretty eye-opening numbers on the ground. He finished that season with 489 rushing yards on 81 carries. That’s a 6.0 average per pop. Think about that for a second. For a rookie quarterback playing behind an offensive line that was, let's be real, a work in progress, that's incredibly efficient. He didn't actually find the end zone on the ground that year—zero rushing touchdowns—but he was moving the chains constantly.
Why Caleb Williams Stats Rushing Tell a Different Story in 2025
By the time 2025 rolled around, things shifted. The NFL has a way of adjusting to you. Defenses started playing more contain, and the Bears actually improved the infrastructure around him.
💡 You might also like: Aston Villa vs Brentford: Why Unai Emery’s High Line is a Trap
His rushing yards dipped a bit to 388 yards in 2025, but the way he used his legs became much more surgical. Instead of just scrambling for his life, he was finishing drives. He notched 3 rushing touchdowns in the 2025 regular season. He also added another 20 yards on the ground during his first career postseason win against Green Bay in January 2026.
Basically, he's becoming a "red zone" threat.
You've probably noticed that his "scramble percentage" is one of the highest in the league. According to SumerSports data, his scramble rate hovered around 7.35% in 2024. In 2025, even with better protection, he was still taking off on about 6.77% of his plays. He’s a playmaker who refuses to let a dead play die.
The College Context: Was He More Mobile at USC?
A lot of fans look at his college stats and feel like he’s "slowed down" in the pros. At Oklahoma and USC, he was a touchdown machine on the ground.
- 2021 (Oklahoma): 442 yards, 6 TDs
- 2022 (USC): 382 yards, 10 TDs
- 2023 (USC): 142 yards, 11 TDs
Wait, look at that 2023 number. Only 142 yards? That’s where the "college stats" trap catches people. In college, sacks count against your rushing yards. Caleb took a lot of sacks at USC. If you strip those away, he was actually incredibly productive. In his Heisman year, he had over 600 yards of "true" rushing.
The NFL is different. Sacks don't hurt your rushing total in the pro box score. That’s why his caleb williams stats rushing look "better" in the NFL (877 career yards through two seasons) even though he’s technically playing against much faster defenders.
Comparing Caleb to the Rest of the League
Is he elite? It depends on your definition. He isn't going to give you 1,000 yards in a season like Lamar or Jayden Daniels. But he’s firmly in that "tier two" of mobile quarterbacks.
💡 You might also like: How Much Did Mike Tyson Make? What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Iron Mike Fortune
In 2025, he ranked 5th in total scramble yards with 363. He’s effective because he’s thick. At 6'1" and 225 pounds, he can actually take a hit, though Bears fans probably wish he wouldn't. He ran a 4.57 forty-yard dash coming out of high school. That speed is still there, but he uses it mostly to buy time to throw.
What’s wild is his "yards per carry" average. In 2024, it was 6.0. In 2025, it was 5.0. Compare that to most running backs who fight for 4.2. When Caleb runs, it’s usually because the defense has ignored him, and he’s punishing them for it.
The Real Value of the Scramble
The most underrated part of the caleb williams stats rushing isn't the yardage. It’s the "EPA" or Expected Points Added. When Caleb scrambles, he is almost always creating a "successful" play.
In 2024, his Rush EPA was 11.63. That means his legs were worth nearly two extra touchdowns over the course of the season just by keeping drives alive. Even in 2025, when the passing game took a leap (3,942 yards and 27 TDs), his legs still contributed a positive EPA of 5.40.
He’s basically a cheat code for a play-caller.
If the primary read isn't there, Caleb doesn't just throw it away. He’s looking for the lane. He recorded a career-long run of 29 yards in 2025. He isn't breaking 80-yarders, but he’s consistently getting that 8-yard slide that keeps the defense tired and frustrated.
🔗 Read more: Matt LaFleur and Charlie Kirk: What Really Happened at Lambeau Field
Breaking Down the 2024 vs 2025 Totals
To give you the full picture, here is how the two seasons stack up side-by-side:
2024 Season (Rookie)
Games: 17
Carries: 81
Yards: 489
Average: 6.0
TDs: 0
Long: 24
2025 Season (Sophomore)
Games: 17
Carries: 77
Yards: 388
Average: 5.0
TDs: 3
Long: 29
The total NFL rushing yards for Caleb Williams currently sits at 877 yards over 34 regular-season games.
What This Means for the Future
If you're a fantasy manager or just a Bears fan, you should expect these rushing numbers to stabilize. He’s learned to take fewer sacks (his sack rate dropped from 10% in 2024 to 3.78% in 2025). That’s huge. It means he’s identifying pressure earlier and either throwing it or getting out of Dodge.
The next step for him is the "Cam Newton" element. We saw a glimpse of it in 2025 with those three goal-line scores. He’s got the frame to be a legitimate threat on the QB draw or the power read. If the Bears start using him more in designed run schemes—rather than just scrambles—those rushing touchdown numbers could easily double.
The reality of caleb williams stats rushing is that they are a tool, not the whole toolbox. He uses his legs to make the defense respect the entire field. When he’s threatening to run, the linebackers have to freeze. That opens up the intermediate passing lanes for guys like DJ Moore or Luther Burden III.
It’s a chess match, and right now, Caleb is winning it with his feet as much as his arm.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Scramble vs. Designed Run: Most of Caleb's yards come from unscripted scrambles. If the Bears increase his designed runs (only 77 in 2025), his floor for fantasy and real-world impact rises significantly.
- Monitor the Sack Rate: As his sack rate stays low, his "positive" rushing attempts usually go up. A quarterback who isn't being tackled behind the line is a quarterback who is gaining yards.
- Red Zone Usage: Keep an eye on the "goal-to-go" situations. His three scores in 2025 suggest a growing confidence in using his bulk to finish drives himself.
- Efficiency over Volume: Don't get hung up on him not having 100-yard rushing games. A 40-yard rushing day where 30 of those yards come on 3rd down is worth way more than a garbage-time 60-yard dash.