The number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will make his highly anticipated debut on Sunday, and the Chicago Bears are desperately hoping that Caleb Williams can finally be the franchise quarterback they have always longed for.
Chicago fans have been in an uproar ever since Williams’ name was called at the draft because not only do they lack recent success, but the team has never truly had a superstar at the sport’s most important position in its long 104-year history.
This is underscored by the fact that the team is the only one in the league whose quarterback has never thrown a pass for over 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season.
Williams could be the man to change all that.
Only three of the number one drafted quarterbacks have ever won in the first week of their rookie season, while the last 15 have failed to win in their first NFL start since David Carr did so in 2002.
But few of those quarterbacks have joined a team as well-positioned as the Bears, who have done everything they can to build a team that can help Williams win from the start.
And during training camp and preseason, he impressed his teammates so much that one might think he could be the savior of the franchise.
“He’s ready for it. He’s up to the task. He’s got a lot of confidence,” said newcomer and veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen.
“He has gotten better and better since we started. His confidence is limitless.”
Why Williams had to be the first choice
For Chicago, choosing Williams was a no-brainer – not only because he had a talent they couldn’t turn down, but also because he had the personality and charisma to become the sport’s next big star.
In a word, he is different. Not only his talent on the field, but his off-field personality and larger-than-life personality are exactly what is needed to get this struggling franchise back on track.
Bears fans hope that this pick can be seen as a turning point in the years to come for a team that hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the famous 1985 season, hasn’t recorded a playoff win since 2010, and hasn’t had much hope at all since then.
While there were false hopes and near misses, the Bears, the second-oldest team in the NFL with nine championship titles, never had a star quarterback in the 1990s.
Now their dreams rest on a 22-year-old who could accomplish just about anything in college football.
What type of quarterback is Williams?
Williams started at Oklahoma, then transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) and easily won the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player in 2022 during his freshman year at USC.
Last year, the team struggled, but Williams still shone, not only as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks, but also as one who just doesn’t give up the ball.
In his three years in college, Williams totaled 10,082 passing yards and 93 touchdowns – with only 14 interceptions – as well as 960 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.
When you consider the fact that Williams can extend plays and throw on the run just as well as in the pocket (think Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers on the run), NFL talent scouts were excited about his abilities.
In crucial third and fourth down situations, he took his game to an elite level, completing 199 passes without an interception while throwing 46 touchdowns in the red zone and giving the ball away just once.
“One of the most talented quarterbacks I’ve ever evaluated,” said former NFL quarterback and current TV commentator Chris Simms. “One of the best throwers in the history of college football.”
Caleb Williams – future superstar
Williams is one of the most marketable sports stars in the US – even though he has never even played in the NFL. Even in college, he reportedly earned up to $10 million (£8 million) from endorsements.
He always does it his way and has his own style – like his pink phone case and painted nails while watching the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
A video of Williams crying with his mother after USC’s loss to Washington last year also went viral – a video he later used as part of his mental health advocacy.
“I do my best every single game and every opportunity I get. I’m an advocate for mental health, being able to show your feelings and express yourself,” Williams said in response on social media.
And true to his word, Williams has started his own foundation called Caleb Cares, which focuses on mental health, anti-bullying and youth empowerment.
He’s the first true college star to enter the NFL and is a millionaire, so some say he won’t have the same hunger. But he’s shown how passionate he can be and will surely give it his all to help the Chicago Bears win.
Why Williams can revive the Bears
Sleeping giant means the Bears are in hibernation. The team is over a century old and one of only two NFL teams still in existence, but success has eluded them recently.
The Bears have won nine NFL championships—although only one of them was a Super Bowl—and have won the second-most games in NFL history and have the most players in the Hall of Fame.
Only one of them was a true franchise quarterback – and the fact that it was Sid Luckman 85 years ago shows why fans desperately want Williams to fill that aching void.
The team drafted Mitchell Trubisky second in 2017 – famously passing over Mahomes – and Justin Fields eleventh in 2021, but neither was successful.
However, they bet everything on Williams as he was the only quarterback they considered during Chicago’s pre-draft process and gave their new playmaker plenty of pass receivers.
Rome Odunze was selected as the ninth overall pick this year and veteran Keenan Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler, arrived as a free agent to join DJ Moore in a now fully loaded receiver group.
With the construction of a new stadium, Chicago can finally have hope for the future – but much depends on the talented shoulders of the new quarterback.
